Hearts Falling (series)
by PinkRabbitPro
Summary: Kara and Cat's relationship starts when an attack on Cat leads to a mid air catch and some interesting confessions, then follows in a series of short stories. SuperCat
1. Equations For a Body Falling

**Author's Note** : I started this before Falling was even a gleam in my TV's eye, then when the ep was previewed, put it away and left it there for quite awhile as it just seemed so…meh…in comparison. But there was a fair amount of work done and I've been trying to really hard to finish things, so I dug it out recently and banged out more (then edited and reedited and well…that almost got out of hand). Hopefully, it doesn't suck.  
 **Summary:** An attack on Cat leads to a mid air catch and some interesting confessions.  
 **Author's Note:** This was originally supposed to be a standalone, but then people started making comments and asking questions and my brain went places and it because a series in my head. Soooo...I'm slowly adding to it. In the interests of keeping things somewhat sane, and findable I'm putting all the stories together, with each one being listed as a separate chapter. Easier on readers that way, I think, since I can't figure out a way to link series together on like you can on AO3.

 **Hearts Falling:**

 **Equations for a Body Falling  
by Pink Rabbit Productions**

Cat Grant screamed.

To be fair, she wasn't normally a screamer. She could be sharp to be sure, and increased volume was a command tool she used as needed, but screaming? Not generally, no. If nothing else, she preferred to at least appear to be in control at all times.

And the bloody, raw scream that erupted from her throat? Not a symptom of control.

Then again, given that she was, at that exact moment, plummeting toward a very bloody death several dozen stories below, she decided it was forgivable. After all, everyone has their limit, even the queen of all media. And as it turned out, the likelihood going splat on the sidewalk in front of the CatCo offices was hers, especially since it wasn't even the first time this year she'd found herself in this position.

Unfortunately, this time there was no Supergirl, Red Kryptonite or not, to catch her, no one who knew what had happened, which led to the very brief, stray thought that she'd never entirely believed the other woman would let her die the last time she'd been in this position. She thought she had, but as she experienced an all new level of panic, she realized, no, she'd never lost hope during that brief plummet.

Now? No. No hope at all.

She tumbled and caught a glimpse of a starry sky that would have been a beautiful sight for her last night on earth if she could have paused long enough to get a better look, but then glass and steel whipped by and she tumbled again and all she could see was the ground, still at least ten stories below, but coming up fast.

In that instant, sheer terror sucked the air from her lungs, stealing away the ability to let out even the faintest whimper. Green eyes snapped shut. She might be well on her way to becoming a grease spot on the sidewalk, but that didn't mean she had to watch it happen.

It struck her that the sound of the wind rushing in her ears faded to nothingness and she had a sense of floating rather than falling. Maybe terminal velocity really was a thing. Maybe she'd be dead before she hit. The idea of a closed casket funeral was depressing as hell after all the effort she'd put into maintaining the makings of a good looking corpse, but still, better that than the pure agony of impact.

Then suddenly something slammed into her back and impossibly strong arms clamped around her from behind. "Gotcha," a harsh gasp rasped in a Cat's ear as she was yanked to a halt with enough force to leave her wondering how many ribs were now in pieces, or at least she'd wonder when she could think again. "Made it."

Cat tipped her chin down, unable to do more than stare—her feet were dangling mere feet above the sidewalk. She'd been less than a second from death. She blinked, struggling to process, some part of her still uncertain this was real and not some brief, post impact hallucination during the final moments of her life.

"I thought..." The voice in her ear quavered and trailed into hard shudders that shook the body wrapped around her.

Still struggling to catch up, Cat twisted to peer over her shoulder in search of her savior and found herself staring into familiar blue eyes. _Supergirl?_ Then she registered thick rimmed glasses. "Kara?" she exhaled uncertainly.

"I got you," the younger woman repeated, her eyes wild, breathing ragged. "When I saw you fall past the window, I didn't think I could..." Blue eyes snapped shut and she tilted her head forward, forehead just barely brushing Cat's hair. "Tell me you're all right," she begged, her voice trembling almost as hard as her body.

Heart still hammering in her chest, Cat managed a shaky nod. "I think so," she whispered, concentrating in an effort to spot any agonizing pains. Her ribs ached, actually everything ached, but not in a way that stood out. "I don't...nothing..." She peered up at Kara again, then down at the ground several feet below them. "You're Supergirl." Of course Cat had known very well that Kara was Supergirl—the attempt to convince her otherwise hadn't worked for more than a few hours—but she hadn't expected the undeniable reveal to come quite like this. "And you saved me," she whispered as that part of the equation caught up with her thought processes.

Kara just nodded, the movement unsteady, as though she couldn't quite make her muscles work right. Then she ducked her head, nosing into gold silk hair and resting her forehead against Cat's temple. "I thought...I thought I'd lost you," she whispered raggedly.

"You didn't. I'm okay," Cat exhaled. "You made it," she added, feeling like she was trying to convince herself as much as Kara.

"Thank Rao." Kara grabbed a breath and there was something in her eyes, something hungry and more than a little desperate that Cat thought she'd glimpsed before, most notably when Leslie was trying to kill her. "I thought..." Her voice faded into the rough sounds of the night that included distant city noises, their harsh breathing and the unsteady thud of Cat's heart.

And then Kara was leaning farther over Cat's shoulder and Cat was turning more toward her, and Kara's mouth was coming down on hers. Cat didn't fight it at all. Instead, she parted her lips, pressing closer in spite of the awkward position, tasting the softness of her former assistant's lips, the flavor of her lip gloss—something berry sweet—even as she sank into the warmth and protection of her body.

Kara floated them to the ground to touch down lightly.

Cat barely felt their landing, but as her feet hit the sidewalk, she automatically spun toward her savior, hands sliding up her chest and curling into her lapels to haul her close.

As kisses went, it was strangely unromantic, more about stress and desperation and the need for reassurance than any softer emotions, but it was strong, demanding, solid and so very, very real.

Kara growled low in her throat, the sound soft and possessive, while her hands found the smooth curve of Cat's hips and clamped down, her touch powerful, yet still gentle enough that she didn't leave even a trace of a bruise. Raw and needy, what followed was equal parts reassurance and comfort, until finally, lips parted and Kara caught slim shoulders and gently pressed Cat back. "What the hell happened?" she demanded, still breathless in the aftermath of the rescue effort and accompanying terror. "How did you...I mean..." She looked up, eyeballing the distance to Cat's balcony. "How?" she whispered after a beat.

"Mike Ross," Cat answered, head tipping back as she followed the line of Kara's gaze. "He threw me off the balcony."

Kara's hands tightened into fists and muscle rippled along the line of her jaw. "Why?"

"Melanie Richards...from legal came in to see me...said he was going crazy," the blonde panted. "I was trying to calm her down, get her to tell me what was going on, when he stormed in demanding to know what she'd told me and saying she was crazy. He tried to drag her out and I told him to leave, said I'd call security, and he just...he went crazy. The next thing I knew he'd grabbed me. When I ordered him to let go, he shoved me...right through the window." Her hand floated up, fingers lightly massaging her temple, then floated down to brush a tear in her collar and rub at a bleeding scratch over her collarbone. "I was just getting up again when he was on me...screaming... He grabbed me and..." A hard shudder rattled through her and her voice choked off on the final syllable. She wrapped her arms tightly around her torso. "You know the rest."

Rage glittered in blue eyes as Kara scanned the building for signs of Ross. She knew him from meetings, tall and bulky with old muscle turning to fat with age. He could be charming, but also full of bluster and meanness when defied, particularly when it came to women. Carefully attuned hearing plucked his voice out of thin air, snarling and threatening, and surrounded by elevator sounds. "He's escaping," she hissed. "Stay here." The she was moving at superspeed, peeling off her outer clothes to reveal the red and blue uniform as she flew.

She reached the front of the building in moments and landed with a solid thud.

Ross stepped out of the elevator nearest the front entrance and was dragging a stiff, frozen-faced woman along with him as he hurried along— Melanie Richards, pretty but blandly so, at least ten years younger than he was, with long dark hair and too much makeup. Kara wondered how often the thick pancake covered bruises. They'd gone maybe fifteen feet when he looked up and saw Kara in the doorway. She read the intention to bully his way through and shook her head ever so slightly, though there was a part of her that wanted him to resist. Anything to give her an excuse.

"Let her go," Kara ordered, her voice low and hard.

"Look, there's been a misunderstanding," he said, his voice smooth, his tone reasonable. "Melanie and I had a fight, but we're good now and she knows I didn't mean anything I said." He tugged sharply on the hand caught in his own and turned a smile on the woman that might have seemed affectionate to anyone who didn't know otherwise.

Kara ignored the effort at charm. "I said, let her go," she repeated, her voice taut with barely contained rage.

Ross pivoted back, still playing at being the reasonable one. "Sometimes when she gets mad, she says some pretty outrageous stuff...accuses me of crazy things," he continued, still using that smooth, calm tone. "And I admit, sometimes I yell back, but we love each other...and I'd never hurt her—"

"And Cat Grant?" Kara snarled.

He tensed and backed up a half step. "Miss Grant?" He tried to sound like he had no idea what she was talking about. "She...uh..." He backed up another step, visibly hunting for a response likely to win over the growing crowd. "I mighta yelled at her sometime, but you know what she's like," he began after a beat. "She never lets up...always finding fault, picking at a person."

The were nods and a few grumbles from their audience. They'd all caught the wrong edge of their boss' temper at least once.

Kara didn't say anything, just stalked forward.

"She just...she pushes people's buttons," Ross continued, well aware he had a receptive audience for any complaints about CatCo's CEO. "And god does she know just how to get under your skin—" As he spoke, he kept backing away from Kara, moving toward the elevators, his grip on the young woman at his side growing steadily tighter with each step even as she subtly tried to twist free.

"Please," a tiny voice begged almost inaudibly and the girl glanced up, briefly meeting Kara's eyes with a pleading look before she looked down again.

"Shut up," Ross hissed and his fingers clawed into her hand until his nails left scratches.

"Let her go," Kara repeated even as the crowd sounds trailed into silence. People might have issues with Cat, but this was looking like a whole lot more than an overdone bawling out from the boss and not many were looking for that level of trouble.

Sensing the crowd turning against him, Ross' eyes flashed around, seeking out any faces he knew might be sympathetic. "C'mon, Jase," he directed at one young reporter he knew had recently suffered a particularly nasty dressing down. "You know how she is."

The man nodded, but was hesitant and uncomfortable. "Yeah," he exhaled, side-eyeing Supergirl with an uneasy look. "But maybe now's not the time, y'know..." He peered at the young woman with Ross, noting the way she kept trying to pull away. "Maybe you oughta let Mel go. She...uh—"

"No," Ross snapped, a snarl briefly curling his lip before he caught himself and his expression smoothed out. "I mean, she gets stressed in situations like this and it helps...helps her to hold my hand." He jerked on the hand bound to his own. "Tell 'em, honey," he ordered. "Tell her how well I take care of you and how you need me." Another jerk. "Tell them," he repeated, his tone taking on a faint pleading note this time. When Melanie didn't respond, he turned a look toward Supergirl, trying to appear calm and in control. "Tell them how crazy you can get and how I look after you," he said, but Melanie stood mute, her eyes glazed, body frozen. "She does," Ross told Kara, the words coming shakily now. "She gets a little nuts sometimes."

"Like when you throw someone off a balcony forty stories up?" Kara ground out.

A spasm rippled through the big man as though she'd actually hit him and he jumped back a step, yanking Melanie with him. He threw a panicked look at the young woman, momentarily seeming to hyperventilate until he suddenly calmed, expression smoothing out, the panic suddenly gone. "I'm sorry, honey," he said, staring at Melanie with a seemingly sympathetic look. "I tried." He looked back to Kara. "I tried to stop her, but she got it into her head that Cat and I were having an affair." He sounded so reasonable that if Kara didn't know for a fact what had happened, she might have believed him, particularly with Melanie so frozen.

Melanie whimpered and Kara could see the hopelessness like a live thing in her.

Ross, meanwhile, had become eerily calm, his manner steady and confident again. "When I realized what she meant to do, I tried to get between them, but she shoved Cat over the side before I could do a thing." He shook his head and wiped at a stray tear. "I know I should have called the police, shouldn't have tried to lie for her...but I love her." More stray tears appeared. "I just thought I could protect her and I couldn't help Cat by then."

"Right," Kara exhaled. "Lucky for Miss Grant, I could," she said, her voice low, but loud enough to be heard by everyone in the crowd. She gave it a moment to sink in, mouth twisting into a feral smile as the panic visibly hit Ross. "That's right," she assured him. "She's still alive."

The transformation was almost instant as Ross' mouth twisted into an enraged sneer. "Too bad. Woulda loved to see that nosy bitch splattered all over the street—"

Kara didn't think, just surged forward, moving so fast no one saw more than a blur. Her right hand clawed around Ross' neck and she slammed him into the wall at his back with enough force to drive the air from his lungs, though she still had enough self control not to kill.

"No!" Melanie suddenly screeched. "Don't hurt him. He didn't mean it. He just...he's—"

"A raving psychopath?" Kara snarled, every muscle in her arm spring steel taut as she fought the urge to clamp down even harder.

"No, he's...he's just...I shouldn't have lied to Ms. Grant. He's-he's really good to me and I shouldn't have made him mad," Melanie insisted in the face of the astonished look Kara threw her way.

"She loves me," Ross jeered through a choking gag. "'N' that stupid bitch had no right interfering." His mouth twisted into a pained grimace, but there was triumph in his eyes. "Be my word versus Grant's, 'n' everybody knows what she's like." He snorted, disgust in his eyes. "By the time my lawyer's called in half the city to talk about Queen Bitch Grant, the jury'll wanna give me a medal for—"

Kara didn't think, just reacted, pulling Ross back and slamming him into the wall again even as her hand tightened, fingers pressing hard into his neck. He'd nearly murdered Cat and there was no regret, not even much fear in him and she couldn't—

"Supergirl. Let. Him. Go." Cat's voice was firm, not angry, but hard enough to break through the haze of fury.

Kara loosened her hold enough to let him breathe again, but couldn't make herself let go completely, not when he flashed a triumphant sneer at her.

"Call the police," Cat ordered someone in the background, and then she was laying a hand on Kara's forearm. "Supergirl," she said very softly, and her other hand landed on Kara's back, rubbing slow circles over her spine. "You're killing him...and _you_ can't do that." She massaged her forearm lightly and spread her hands along taut muscle. "You need to let him go."

"He tried to kill you," Kara ground out, barely contained rage and terror still burning a hole in her gut.

"And he failed," Cat reminded her, still rubbing Kara's back gently. "But if you don't let go, he's going to look like the victim here." She slid the hand on Kara's forearm down, brushing her knuckles lightly. "You need to let go."

"But—" Kara ground out.

"He's not going to get away with anything," Cat assured her. "Roger?" she said as she glanced at the lobby guard.

"We'll make sure he doesn't go anywhere," he assured her and nodded to his backups. "And the police should be here any minute."

Cat continued brushing Kara's knuckles and massaging her back. "It's okay. They'll take care of it now."

Kara looked over at the older woman, some of the tension easing as she saw the reassuring look in green eyes. She felt Cat start pulling lightly on her grip. It would have been nothing for her to resist, but she allowed the blonde to pry her fingers loose, finally opening them and letting Ross fall.

He collapsed, hitting the ground on his ass and dragging in great, desperate lungsful of air through gasped obscenities. The CatCo guards grabbed for him before he could even start to catch his breath.

"Send the police up when they arrive," Cat instructed the guards even as she pressured Kara toward her private elevator.

The younger woman resisted, staring back at the man on the ground with clear enmity. "I should stay, make sure he doesn't—"

"He won't," Cat cut her off. "But right now I need..." She paused momentarily, glancing around herself with skittish eyes. "I need to get off display."

Kara suddenly noticed that the hand on her arm had gone from light and soothing to gripping tightly and that Cat was noticeably leaning against her. She also knew that despite the image she presented to the world and the emotional walls that seemed at least a thousand feet thick, the other woman had a fragile streak when pushed too far. "Got it," she whispered and pushed the button to request the private elevator.

They were still waiting when Melanie broke from the guards who were, if not precisely holding her in place, then at least trying to keep her contained. "I'm sorry," she choked as she grabbed hold of Cat's arm, dragging her to a halt. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen, but Mike, you've gotta understand, he—"

"Not really, no," Cat disagreed, her tone cool.

Melanie did a brief doubletake, then tried again. "He didn't mean to hurt you. He just—"

"Threw me off the fortieth story of my own building," Cat cut her off.

"He gets mad sometimes, but he'd never hurt anyone," Melanie insisted, still gripping Cat's arm tightly. "He's not a bad guy. He just has a bad temper."

Kara would have reached past her employer to free her from the death grip on her arm, but Cat waved her off as she turned a hard look on the young woman. "What he did was no accident," she said sharply. "It was attempted murder...and you know that." She drew in a sharp breath, then continued, "You also know that he would have blamed you for my death if I hadn't survived—"

"He wouldn't have gone through with—"

"Yes, he would have, and you know that too." Cat refused to let the lie stand. "The man is a menace and I'd wager he's left more bruises on you than you can count—"

"He didn't mean to. He was always sorry."

"Untrue," Cat said simply. "He used violence as a means to control you and get his way and I intend to do my best to see him in prison for as long as possible. If you need counseling or other help, CatCo has an excellent medical plan to provide them. If you need a lawyer to protect your interests, I know more than one who would take the case _pro bono_." Her gaze sharpened. "But if you want me to help an abuser get away with attempted murder..." She shook her head. "That won't happen."

The elevator dinged its arrival and the door slid open.

"Please," the young woman begged and this time Kara did reach over and peel her hands off Cat's arm, though she also nodded to a secretary she recognized who was already stepping forward and wrapping an arm across Melanie's shoulders. Older and very stable, the woman nodded her understanding, and was already giving her new charge a gentle speech about what she needed to do when the doors closed again.

The moment they were alone Cat sagged against her, and turned into the protection of her body, heaving a relieved sigh when Kara wrapped strong arms around her and nuzzled her temple tenderly. "It's okay. You're safe now," she breathed into pale silk hair.

Cat mumbled something incoherent and draped her arms around Kara's shoulders, suddenly so exhausted she could barely remain on her feet. The adrenaline rush from the fall had kept her going, but now it was running out and she was fading fast. It was a testament to how drained she was that she didn't even argue when Kara slung a hand behind her knees and the other around her back and simply scooped her up.

When the doors opened again, Kara was unsurprised to find the offices empty. It was a Friday and the staff had been eager to be on their way. Carrying Cat into her office, she flinched when she saw the shattered window onto the balcony. Suddenly her own knees were feeling a little shaky and she sank down on the couch, Cat draped across her lap. "We're okay," she whispered as much to reassure herself as the woman in her arms.

Cat lifted her head from the solid support of Kara's shoulder to peer into pale blue eyes. After a long moment, she reached out to smooth dark gold hair back from Kara's cheek. She wanted to ask why the kiss, but held back, unaccustomed to the wave of uncertainty that swept through her. After all, it might have been nothing more than nerves and relief with no more meaning than that.

Or maybe...

Cat didn't finish that thought, distracted by the hand that curved to her cheek, then the blue eyes that met her gaze. "Kara," she whispered very softly. She knew she should use a firm tone, take control of the situation, and be her normal self. Instead she leaned into the soft touch, rolling her cheek into Kara's palm and feeling her heart rate settle in response to the gentle reassurance.

"I'm here," Kara exhaled, more than a little gratified to hear her real name on Cat's lips, even though she should have been horrified by the notion that the queen of all media now knew for sure who she was. She silently searched green eyes as if they contained the secrets of the universe. "You're okay."

"We both are," Cat whispered, then settled against Kara, tucking her head into the hollow where her neck curved into her shoulder. Normally, Cat was all strength and sarcasm and rigid control. Normally, she would have left anyone who tried to offer comfort bleeding in the dirt at her feet, emotionally, if not physically. At that precise moment, however, she desperately needed the warmth and solace offered. "You saved my life" She sighed as she felt strong arms tighten around her, then the warmth of a small kiss pressed to her temple. "Thank you." She blinked several times, fighting off the sudden threat of tears.

"No," Kara said, clinging to the slender frame held firmly in her arms. She dropped another kiss onto silky hair. "Thank you...for surviving. I..." she stumbled to a halt, unable to finish the sentence because she simply didn't know what she'd do. It was too unthinkable.

"Not like it's anything I did," Cat muttered into the heavy silence, hating that sense of powerlessness that went with her near doom. "That was all you."

"Yay me." Kara nosed in close, pressing a soft kiss to the side of Cat's neck. She heard a low sound almost like a purr and felt Cat lean more firmly into her touch. That led to more soft kisses pressed along the sharp cut of Cat's jaw, then the soft curve of her cheek.

Without thinking, Cat turned toward the caress and lips brushed without planning, parted, brushed again. It was all softness. "Kara," Cat breathed almost inaudibly, tipping her head forward until their foreheads touched. "Thank you."

Kara didn't say a word, just leaned farther into the space between them, her mouth warm and inviting as she found soft lips with her own. This kiss was more confident, less tentative and so achingly gentle Cat couldn't quite contain a tiny moan. She pushed into the contact, and felt strong hands tighten possessively even as something wild and fierce slid through her. Her hands curled into the front of Kara's uniform and she clung in a way she'd never held onto anyone.

It was the soft sound of someone clearing their voice that broke things up.

Kara snapped her head up, brows creasing into a frown as she noted the police officer standing in the doorway to Cat's office. The woman's mouth was twisted by a hint of a smirk, though she didn't say a word, just tipped her head to one side.

Rising, Kara carefully settled Cat back on her feet, but remained a solid presence guarding her back, her hands resting lightly on the smaller woman's shoulders.

"May I help you?" Cat questioned, her voice as shaky as Kara had ever heard it, though she doubted the police officer heard the faint quaver. Cat was nothing if not expert at hiding her fears from most people.

"I'm Officer Saunders. We've got a man downstairs, says he was attacked by Supergirl..." The officer's eyes flicked back and forth between the two women. "Said she's in love with you, Ms. Grant..." Again, dark eyes darted back and forth between the two women. "And she found out you're in love with him and attacked him...said his girlfriend would confirm the story?"

Cat couldn't help it. Despite all the fear and stress, or maybe because of it, she laughed, the sound high pitched and slightly hysterical. "God, no."

"Not exactly," Kara drawled, her tone wry.

The police officer's gaze swung back to Kara, one eyebrow tipping up assessingly before she looked back to Cat. "You feel up to giving a statement?" she questioned, apparently in no hurry to make any arrests.

"I'd love to," Cat said instantly, thoroughly enjoying the idea of eviscerating Ross and sending him to prison for as long as possible. She felt a fresh surge of adrenalin flood her veins and stiffen her spine.

Saunders produced a small notebook and digital recorder from a pocket. "Supergirl, if you wouldn't mind, I need to interview you two separately...given the accusations."

Kara considered pointing out that unless she left the city, she could easily track the conversation only to decide against it. Squeezing Cat's shoulder lightly, she leaned close enough to murmur near her ear, "You okay to do this?"

Cat reached up and squeezed the hand on her shoulder and nodded. "I'll be fine." Their gazes met and she nodded. "Thank you."

"I'm just glad I was there in time," Kara exhaled, then afraid of saying more in front of the officer, ducked her head in acknowledgment and stepped out. Making her way to Winn's desk, she sat, her pose seemingly relaxed, though there was an underlying tension to her as she eavesdropped on the interview, listening in while Cat explained what had happened, deflecting any questions about how Supergirl had known to rescue her in mid-air by simply insisting she didn't know. When Kara's time to answer questions came, they traded places and Kara gave a factual account with the exception of explaining that she'd heard Miss Grant scream while she was patrolling. She denied knowing anything about Michael Ross beyond the various wild claims he'd made about Miss Grant.

The officer's mouth twisted into what might have been a smirk. "According to witnesses, you nearly strangled the guy," she said, a question implicit in the comment.

Kara shrugged. "I admit I was mad. Miss Grant is a friend, and he threw her off a building, then—when caught—insulted her, implied it was her own fault, and tried to blame his girlfriend." Another shrug. "So when he tried to leave, I made sure he couldn't. Was I gentle? No. But I didn't do any real damage... _and I could have_ ," Kara said pointedly, then added, "And he didn't get a chance to hurt anyone else."

Saunders didn't immediately respond, and her cell phone dinged for attention before she could. She held up a hand for silence as she answered.

Kara could hear both sides of the conversation, but it was cryptic enough—all police codes and slang—that she didn't learn much until the woman hung up and peered at her. "Apparently Mr. Ross made several competing claims when my partner called him on his story." She tucked her phone back into a pocket. "Plus we've had a couple of witnesses come forward claiming they've seen signs of abuse." She peered at Kara. "The DA may want more complete statements, and Miss Grant has promised her IT department will gather any security footage and turn it over ASAP, but for now, you're free to go."

Kara nodded, remaining perfectly still as the officer moved to leave.

The woman was half out of Cat's office when she pivoted back, mouth twisted into a wry lift. "For what it's worth, if it had been my girlfriend, Ida killed the sonofabitch...super powers or no." She shrugged. "Just sayin'." Then she slipped out.

Tracking the officer by sound, Kara turned her head toward Cat, noting the way the blonde shut her phone down even as the cop disappeared into the elevator.

Cat was on her feet the moment they were alone. "I called the IT Hobbit and let him know we need any security footage that won't compromise you," she informed Kara as she stepped into her office. "He promised to have that ready as soon as possible."

Kara's phone rang right on cue. She answered to find a panicked Winn on the other end quizzing her about what Miss Grant knew and what had happened. She assured him all was fine and asked him to do as their boss had asked while Cat paced the confines of her office much like one of the larger species of her namesake. Cat made another pass as Kara hung up and she reached out, hooking an arm around the other woman's hips and tugging sharply enough to bring her to a halt. Her other hand found a purchase on Cat's other hip and she brought her close, tipping her head back to peer up into jade green eyes.

"Talk to me," Kara requested quietly.

Cat froze, suddenly weak in the knees as she stared down at Kara and the enormity of everything that had happened washed over her. Her hands landed on strong shoulders and she steadied herself. It would be so much safer to just pull back, put up her usual walls and—

"Please," Kara broke in.

Cat let out a soft whoof of air and whatever she'd been about to say died unspoken. A shiver slid through her as the hands shaped to her hips shifted and massaged lightly. "Why?" she whispered almost inaudibly. "Why that kiss...like that...so..." she didn't finish, just stood shaking her head slowly.

Kara licked her lips nervously, heart suddenly thundering in her chest. "I just...it was impulse. I was so scared, and then so grateful you were alive, and in my arms and I...I...God, Cat..." She shook her head a little dazedly, then exhaled, "I just. I...I couldn't not...kiss you," she said haltingly.

Cat just stared at her for a long moment, then tipped her chin down, eyeing the hand at her hip, stroking very gently, then looked back up again, noting the way her own hand was absently toying with the silky hair that spilled onto Kara's shoulder. She hadn't really even known that she was doing it. It was so automatic thought wasn't required. She didn't know why Kara had kissed her—though she had some suspicions—but she suddenly knew why she'd kissed Kara back. It had been building for awhile now, forming inside her, crystallizing, warming her from the inside out as she watched the truly selfless way the girl fought so hard to help others.

She'd been halfway gone for ages now and as she felt her heart give a solid thump, she was comfortably certain that halfway had expanded to fill every bit of space in her chest.

Suddenly Kara tipped forward, just barely resting her forehead against Cat's stomach. She heard the way Cat's pulse picked up, felt the faint ripple of each beat moving through her body.

"Kara," Cat exhaled, wanting the answer and terrified of it at the same time. "Please."

Kara tipped her head back, peering up at the other woman. Cat's pupils dilated as their eyes made contact while her pulse continued to race and her breathing was fast and a little shallow. It struck her suddenly that she knew all of those details intimately. She'd been tracking Cat for ages by those vital signs. "You know why," she said very softly. She shook her head dazedly as a wave of something akin to vertigo made the world spin, frighteningly aware of what they meant even if she hadn't quite had the courage to put a name to what she was feeling. "I'm in love with you," she whispered and as the words tumbled out, she knew in her heart they were true. Then the sense of being naked and vulnerable washed over her and she barely resisted the urge to shrink in on herself and hide away.

Cat tensed, a part of her wanting to deny the other woman's claim. It all felt so inconceivable when even her own mother had never shown any such inclination. She had long since accepted she simply wasn't lovable. "Oh, Kara," she exhaled very softly.

"You don't owe me anything," Kara said quickly. "That's not why I—"

"I know that," Cat cut her off, her tone firm. "If I know anything about you, it's that there's no price for your help. It's free to anyone who needs it."

Some of the tension drained from Kara's muscles.

Reaching down, Cat curled the tips of her fingers under Kara's elbows, applying just enough pressure to bring the younger woman to her feet. "You are so young," she marveled. She tenderly stroked dark gold hair back from Kara's cheek. "And I'm..." She shook her head, worrying her lower lip between sharp teeth. "I'm not. I'm twice your age and three times your experience. For me to...to encourage you would be..." She trailed to a halt and turned away, a part of her breaking at the thought of saying it out loud.

"What?" Kara pressed, brows drawing into a frown as suspicion slid through her as to what it meant.

" _Wrong_ ," Cat hissed without turning back.

And Kara knew. It was all there in Cat Grant's voice, in her refusal to turn and look, and in the way she was poised on the balls of her feet as if to flee at any second. Kara wasn't the only one in deep. She stepped forward, smoothing her hands along narrow shoulders, feeling the jump and shift of lean muscle. "On Krypton," she began carefully, her voice low and sad, "we had so many rules. Every rule imaginable for who we could love...and not love...how we could love them...when. Relationships stopped being about feelings and became about politics...consolidating power by uniting this house and that one..." She stepped a pace closer, leaning forward until spun gold hair tickled the tip of her nose. "We lost the ability to form relationships...to care for each other...to love each other freely. It was so bad that Kal El—Superman—was the first child conceived by natural means in generations."

"I don't see what—"

"We were so worried about the rules that we gave up love," Kara admitted. "We just lt go. That isn't a mistake I care to repeat." Using her light hold on narrow shoulders, she guided Cat around until they were face to face. "I have these feelings and I want to explore them with you, but I'm not interested in pushing something you don't want. Tell me it's not mutual and I'll never mention it again."

"Kara, I..." Cat trailed off and looked away. Her voice totally lacking its usual sharpness as she admitted, "Of course I love you. How could I not? You're the kindest, most decent human..." Cat remembered Kara wasn't precisely human and corrected herself, "...person..." Reaching up, she smoothed a hand along Kara's shoulder. "Everyone who meets you is a little in love with you. Plus you're Supergirl. You've literally saved my life more times than I can count... You're amazing...and I'm..." She snorted softly and didn't finish, just looked away, a hint of moisture in her eyes. Finally, she shook her head. "It wouldn't be fair to you."

"Let _me_ decide what's fair to me," Kara requested, her tone serious. "Besides, you're forgetting, you saved me once too."

Cat looked up then, brows drawn into a confused frown.

"Livewire," Kara reminded her. "You protected me. Sent me away while you faced her alone."

Cat responded with an eye roll. "Wonderful, I saved Supergirl," she sniffed dismissively.

"You didn't know that," Kara pointed out. "You were just trying to protect your assistant. And without being invulnerable." She smiled tenderly and cupped a hand along Cat's cheek. "That's a hero."

The second eye roll was at least twice as dramatic as the first. "Hardly," Cat disdained. She started to turn away, but Kara ducked her head and the kiss that fell on her lips was so achingly soft she couldn't move.

Green eyes slid closed. "Kara," she exhaled when the kiss broke.

Super hearing suddenly picked up the arrival of heavy trucks and words of the people in them. "The media's arriving," she warned Cat. She looked around. "And the police will want to process your office...get pictures of the broken glass, maybe prints to prove Ross was in here." Her gaze swung back to Cat, taking in how pale she'd suddenly become.

"I-I need to figure out what I'm going to say to the—"

"I'm taking you home—" She paused a moment. "You okay to fly, or do we need to—"

"I'm fine, but I don't need anyone to take me home." Cat threw a fierce glare her way and started to snarl, "I can—"

"CatCo has a press rep. You can call her and have her deal with it," Kara said stiffly, then added more gently, "You're all but out on your feet, and you'd be the first one to tell anyone who works for you to only talk to the press when at their best."

"I—"

Kara scooped the other woman up. It wasn't her normal philosophy, but sometimes it really was easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission. "Hold on," she instructed over the beginning of another objection.

Cat swung an arm around Kara's neck and clamped on with what would have been a genuine death grip on anyone who wasn't Kryptonian. "That's cheating," she complained through the whoosh of becoming airborne.

Kara just grinned and redoubled her grip. "Hold on tight."

Cat drew a breath to complain only to glance down as they took off. Police, news trucks, reporters milling and techs setting up large banks of TV lights were gathering below.

Kara felt the tension that rippled through the other woman. "I didn't think you wanted to deal with that."

"No," Cat admitted breathlessly, then swept her gaze up, resolutely refusing to look down again as they took off. Kara's hold was strong and steady and she felt as safe as she ever had, which didn't negate the fact that they were a long way up. Clinging tightly, she burrowed into the hollow where Kara's shoulder curved into her neck. "Oh, stop smiling," she grumbled as she felt the younger woman grin.

"Hard to do when I could have lost you and instead I get to hold you like this," Kara admitted, firming her hold ever so slightly. She blinked at the threat of tears. "And that means everything."

Cat tried to respond, but her throat was too tight to let her speak and she finally just settled into strong arms, feeling a much needed sense of security. She was half asleep when Kara slowed sometime later.

"We're there," Kara said as she come in for a landing on a broad porch that hung out over a steep cliff high above a shallow stretch of beach. "I thought maybe the beach house would be a better choice than the penthouse, since I'm guessing the press will gather there like they are at corporate. I can go get Carter if you want me to," she added, well aware that mother and son had a knack for calming one another.

Cat shook her head. "He's with his dad tonight...and while he wasn't a great husband, he's good with Carter. I should probably call and let them know what happened. Also warn them the media might show up."

"While you do that, I'll check the gate on the drive...make sure everything's locked...keep the press out if they do show up."

Kara tracked Cat's side of the conversation as she moved off to check on things and make certain no one could easily get through the front gate, purposely staying away until she heard Cat hang up. Suddenly a bit hesitant, she loafed a bit as she made her way back. She found the house empty and after a brief moment of irrational panic, located Cat on the porch overlooking the ocean. She'd stripped off her blazer and shoes and rolled up the sleeves on her blouse, leaving loose silk to flutter gently at her elbows. She was nursing a drink and staring out at rolling seas while the beam cast by a distant lighthouse did slow sweeps across the water.

As Kara stepped onto the porch, Cat did a slow turn, leaning back, arms splayed away from her body, hands braced on the top of the porch railing.

 _Command Position_ , Kara thought with some irony. Somebody had gotten their defenses back on line.

Cat eyed the younger woman with a serious look. "Carter's okay. He hadn't seen the news yet. He said to thank you. I also let the press rep know what's going on. She'll take care of things for now."

Despite the lazily relaxed pose and the attempt to appear in control, Kara could hear the jackhammer beat of Cat's heart so clearly she was mildly tempted to call her on it. _Bad plan_ , she reminded herself. Try and push and Cat Grant would plant her feet and turn bullheaded for the sheer joy of it.

So, she waited, simply standing there silently, feeling slightly foolish in her cape and boots. Superhero costumes were great for whooshing in and making a dramatic impression when all hell was breaking loose, less so when it came to the quiet, personal moments in life.

She was amazed when it was Cat who broke their staring contest first by abruptly pivoting back around and retrieving her drink. She took a sip, elbows braced on the railing as she stared out at the ocean, leaving Kara to wonder what had just happened.

When nothing was said for a long moment, Kara took a cautious step forward, her voice low and echoing with a bit of fear. "Cat?" she exhaled uncertainly.

Cat took another sip from her glass. "What do you want?" she asked after a long moment, then clarified, "A roll in the hay, a date to the prom, marriage? What?"

Given the tone, Kara couldn't help but feel the question was meant to send her running, making it her turn for an eyeroll. If that tactic worked on her, she never would have survived three years as Cat's assistant. "I _am_ a little old for the prom," she pointed out, not angry, but impatient. "A roll in the hay? Yeah, sure, but I want a helluva lot more than that. And marriage? I don't know, maybe."

The tension that rolled through Cat's shoulders was a clear indicator that wasn't the expected response. The blonde spun back as abruptly as she'd turned away, another tactic coming into play.

"Kara, I'm forty-eight years old. I come with a son with serious issues, a company with a hostile board that's always plotting, and god help me, a mother who glories in trying to make sure I know my place is at the bottom of the heap, not to mention gossip columnists who will glory in taking chunks out of anyone I care for." She shook her head, her tone sad and more than a little frustrated as she asked, "Is that really what you want? Because it isn't some fantasy. It's hard and it's gritty, and some days it _hurts_." She closed her eyes against the younger woman, blocking out the caring and tenderness directed her way. This had been so much easier when it was just a safe, little fantasy with zero chance of actually happening. "Can't you see I'm trying to protect you?" She stiffened a moment later, eyes snapping open when she heard Kara laugh very softly.

"Do you really think I don't know all of that?" Kara asked, her tone practical. "I've been running your life for the last three years." She snorted softly and shook her head. "I probably know your issues better than you do." She rolled her eyes again. "In fact, when it comes to your board and your mother, if you'll recall, I'm the one who runs interference and arranges the therapist visits. I'm very aware of the crazy." She paused long enough to grab a breath. "As for Carter, he's a great kid, and if you'd both be okay with it and things work out right, I'd like nothing more than to be a part of his life."

Cat dashed a few tears from her eyes and tried to cover by taking another sip from her glass. Dammit, that one was supposed to make the girl run like hell the way it did everyone else she'd even vaguely thought of dating in years.

Kara took a step closer. "I can't tell you tonight what the future holds, but I do know I'd like a chance to find out..." She trailed to a halt, drawing another step closer as her mind raced in the hunt for a way to lay out her argument.

Cat shook her head, genuine confusion in her eyes. Her feelings for Kara made total sense, but Kara having feelings for her? It just didn't compute. "Kara, you're young, beautiful, smart, kind...everything...and you can have anyone...literally. Why would you want..." She couldn't finish. It hurt too much.

"You?" Kara finished, her tone gentle, though still not enough to stop the flinch that rattled through the older woman.

Cat spun away and drained her drink in one long swallow. "Ex-actly," she said as she set the empty glass aside, enunciating each syllable with military precision.

Kara eyed the stiff cast of narrow shoulders with a wry smile, so attuned to the other woman's emotions that she easily read the hurt lying just below what most people would have thought was anger. "Wanna know something funny?" she asked as she paced around to Cat's side and leaned back against the rail, arms loosely crossed over her chest. She got a grunt that could have meant almost anything and chose to accept it as an affirmative. "On Krypton, everyone would have wondered exactly the opposite...what anyone as beautiful, experienced, and successful as you are could possibly see in someone like me." A hint of a smile touched her mouth as she saw the way Cat's ears visibly perked, but then another wave of tension slid through the blonde and Kara knew she'd had a thought, a notion that was confirmed a brief moment later.

"I thought Kryptonians forgot how to love," she muttered bitterly. "So why would you want to emulate—"

"Because it's not that simple," Kara snapped, finally a bit impatient.

Cat's mouth snapped shut and she cringed back almost imperceptibly.

Kara sighed very softly as a wave of guilt washed over her. After everything Cat had been through, the last thing she needed was to be pressured and yelled at. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I shouldn't have—"

"Don't," Cat muttered and held up a hand for silence. "I'm not at my best...but even my best probably wouldn't handle this conversation well." She shook her head, struggling with her own temper. "I'm not good at...this—" Which was another reason she didn't understand.

"Which is why I shouldn't have pushed," Kara insisted, her voice thick with regret. "Not now...not after the day you've had. I didn't mean to make things harder for you."

Cat let out a soft snort of laughter. "Oh, Kara, the last thing you've _ever_ done is make my life harder."

Kara drew a breath to argue only to remain silent when Cat flashed her a stern look.

"Let me finish," Cat requested. "Because if I don't say this now, I'm not sure I'll have the courage." She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, head falling forward. "I'm in love with you," she admitted quietly. "Have been for awhile, I think, but I have no faith I can be what you need...and you, Kara...you deserve so much and you could break me so badly." She did a slow pivot, peering at the other woman, letting all of her fears for both of them show. "I'm older, set in my ways, come with two sons, a lot of issues. I'm bitter, and angry, and irascible, and I honestly cannot see why that would appeal to you, and even though there's a part of me that thinks I could best prove my love by making you go away, I'm not that strong."

"Cat," Kara exhaled almost inaudibly, amazed by what she was hearing. She wanted to pull the other woman into a hug, but wasn't sure how it would be received at that precise moment. "I know all those things...but I also know the woman who stayed and helped me fight Non, the woman who wouldn't let Max just sacrifice huge numbers of people, who stood up to Livewire and Banshee to protect her employees, and who could forgive me when I threw you—"

"You didn't mean that," Cat waved it off.

"Yes, I did...or at least a part of me did," Kara said, over-riding Cat when she would have argued. "Understand something, you aren't the only one who's angry. Sometimes I just..." Afraid of pushing past the barriers Cat needed, she wrapped her arms tightly around her midsection as her stomach knotted and rolled. "I hated what the Red K did...what it made me do...what I did to you...God, what I did to you—"

"Kara—" Cat said, but Kara interrupted.

" _Don't_ ," Kara snapped, purposely letting a little of the darker emotions she normally hid show. "I let you talk," she added, her voice leveling out again.

Cat fell silent.

"I know what everyone thinks of me...what they _expect_ from me." Her lip curled ever so slightly. "Sunny Danvers...and mostly that's who I am...who I _choose_ to be," she added seriously. "But anger? Yeah, I have issues. Sometimes I feel like my parents threw me away...and like the Danvers don't quite accept me, and this world isn't really mine." She turned toward the ocean, mimicking Cat's earlier stance as she stared out at the seascape, seeing it with eyes that took in far more than any human could imagine. "Sometimes it seems like there is no place in this entire universe where I can truly belong," she confessed, voice threatening to choke off at the end. She heard Cat's tiny gasp, felt her desire to argue, but for once the older woman remained silent, simply listening. "And much as I love this world and so many people in it..." Kara said after a long moment of silence. "...I have to wake up with the knowledge that if I lose control, I could destroy it."

"Bit self impressed there, don't you think?" Cat commented dryly.

Kara spun, eyes wide. "You saw what I did when I lost control," she reminded Cat. "I—"

"Destroyed a really big screen TV, trashed a cheesy bar, apparently told James a few home truths he didn't feel like hearing—"

" _Threw you off a damn building!_ " Kara snarled, surprised by the wave of anger that Cat didn't seem to be taking her own near-demise very seriously.

"And caught me again," Cat said almost gently. She took a step closer, reaching up to brush loose hair back from Kara's cheek as she held her gaze. "You were angry...with some reason," Cat allowed. "But I don't think you were really trying to hurt me. I certainly don't think you wanted me dead," she added in that same low, soothing tone.

"I didn't," Kara exhaled on a ragged sob, eyes suddenly full of tears. "I swear, I never... _never_ wanted that. I was angry, but I always intended to catch you—"

"I know," Cat said, then offered a lopsided smile. "Sunny D may be a choice, but she's also an integral part of who you are." She stepped closer, tucking a finger under Kara's chin and drawing her attention up until their eyes met. "And who you are, all of the rest of this aside, is one of the most decent, kindest people I've ever known, someone who has taught me so much and changed me so much." She caught one of Kara's hands between her own, massaging long runs of bone and muscle with slow strokes. "Do you have issues?" she asked conversationally. "Of course you do. Anyone would in your shoes..." She was silent for a moment and when she spoke, her voice was thicker than normal. "But I want you to consider that who you were at the very worst moment of your life was still not a killer."

Blue eyes slid closed and Kara wavered gently on her feet.

"She was something of a brat and acted like a pouty teenager," Cat sing-songed, her voice lightly teasing before dropping low and serious again, "but she was _not_ a killer."

Kara looked up then. "How can you forgive me? I treated you the worst of anyone. And you..." She was silent for a moment. "You've been the most understanding of everyone." She stared deeply into green eyes, willing Cat to see how important she was. "Sometimes it feels like you're the only person in this whole world who completely accepts me...good, bad, everything in between."

Cat dropped her chin and was silent for a long moment, while her hands stilled on Kara's. "I've made a few mistakes in my life, said things...done things I shouldn't have." She looked up again, finding Kara's eyes. "You've certainly forgiven me plenty of times. How could I not do the same?" She rolled her eyes. "And I didn't even have the excuse of being poisoned. I was usually just in a bitchy mood."

"Actually, I hate to admit this, but..." Kara trailed off and a tiny grin touched her lips. "I kind of like your bitchy moods. You say things the rest of us wish we could. I admire the way you don't take shit from anyone."

"Did you just curse?" Cat asked, not quite believing what she'd heard. Blasting holes through crazed uncles by marriage, yes, but curse words were simply not a part of Kara's behavior to such a degree she'd strongly suspected she hadn't actually learned that portion of the English language yet.

"Yup, and I really wanted to drop kick Siobhan to the moon." Kara rolled her eyes. "I told you, I have rage issues, particularly when it comes to you hiring beautiful women. I just hide them better than you do."

"Rumor has it I don't hide them at all," Cat deadpanned. "For instance, I seriously considered firing the IT hobbit until I realized you didn't return his feelings, and I may have been looking at art director resumes when James let slip that it's actually SuperMAN he wants to make out with." She shrugged. "After that I decided to let him live."

Kara couldn't contain a tiny giggle, Cat's deadpan admission of jealousy ridiculously pleasing. "I really wanted to punch Max Lord in the face when I found out he gave you earrings...and you _wore_ them," she accused.

Cat offered another shrug. "Max doesn't have a chance in hell, but he does have good taste in jewelry, and they did let me help you against Non," she reminded Kara.

"Fine." Kara pouted. "He can live...this time. But maybe you shouldn't accept gifts from him, y'know, in the future?"

"I don't take presents from strange men when in a relationship...and they don't come much stranger than Max."

Kara couldn't hold back a grin. "So you...uh—"

"Yes, Kara," Cat confirmed the question Kara was stammering her way toward asking. "I'm in a relationship now...if you'll have me." Despite her efforts to appear cool and collected, the fear was easy to see in the skittish flick of her eyes and hear in the soft quaver of her voice.

Kara's huge grin was all the answer needed. "Could I hold you?" she asked after a long moment.

Nodding, Cat simply stepped into Kara's arms, looping her arms around her waist and settling her cheek on her shoulder. Every touch careful, Kara folded her arms around Cat and snuggled her close. For the first time since Cat had declared their relationship simply professional, she felt all the pressure drain out of her chest. She felt the blonde sag against her, become softer and heavier as though her muscles had just let go.

"Soft," Cat murmured and nosed deeper into Kara's shoulder, feeling safe and protected, her emotional walls not so much dropping as shattering completely. "Warm," she mumbled. "Feels nice."

Kara pressed a soft kiss to the smaller woman's temple, fascinated by this all new, monosyllabic version of the woman in her arms. "Very nice," she agreed, then ducked her head, stealing a kiss from soft lips.

"Mhm," Cat hmmed, leaning more heavily against Kara as she draped her arms around her neck. A few more lazy kisses followed, but mostly they just held one another.

Finally, they slipped inside together, bodies tumbling into Cat's sinfully huge bed with its even more sinfully soft Egyptian cotton sheets.

Outside the moon made its way across the sky and the tides ebbed and flowed.

Inside, the two women slept twined together, limbs tangled, heads resting close, hair blending in the faint space between them. Soon enough there would be more kisses and soft caresses and all the things that lovers share, but for now, it was enough.

End


	2. How Art Though

**Author's Note:** Each chapter is a separate short story.

 **Summary:** Lazy lovemaking and exploration between new lovers with possibly a tiny hint or two that might be a bit of foreshadowing of things to come.

 **Hearts Falling:**

 **How Art Thou  
By Pink Rabbit Productions**

Kara floated.

Not high, only a few inches, but she was definitely lying above expensive Egyptian cotton sheets, though she hadn't really noticed. She was much too busy concentrating on other things.

Blonde, sleeping things.

Chin resting comfortably on her forearm, Kara reached out and brushed pale hair away from Cat's shoulder, smiling slightly as she studied the newly revealed arc of bone and muscle. She loved Cat's body, the shape and sweep of it, the way her back veed into the narrow tuck of her waist, then flared again into shapely hips, the length of her limbs and the way they swung when she moved, the velvety texture of her skin. She couldn't think of a single detail that did give her some measure of pleasure or make her want to touch and explore. A lazy smile on her lips, she wondered if Cat would consent to pose for her. It would be so amazing to paint her like this, open and relaxed, bits of moon-kissed flesh glowing amid blue and purple shadows that faded into the black of the surrounding room.

Mentally planning the piece, she envisioned her fingers as the brush on canvas as she idly ran them this way and that, never making contact, but silently following runs of shadow, and contemplating the best places to add bits of highlight.

She'd use a few daubs of gold to emphasize the arch of Cat's collarbone and counter with a deep royal blue along the underside to create the hollow there. That would make it all the more powerful when she blended the shadow into a graduated blue as it swept downward along the graceful slope of her breast. Then maybe just a hint of gold where the breast peaked before it disappeared into a dark shade of blue to indicate the undercurve.

She shifted her fingers again, silently considering lines and colors. Eyeing the deep shadows cast by Cat's inner arm, she decided a bit of violet and black there to follow deep indentation into her underarm would work nicely. Blended well, it could add a subtle bit of texture as the muscle curved down into the faintly striated line of her ribs. The sheet that draped across her hips was mostly dark in Kara's imagination, a deep low-hued blue that melted into matte black with only a few brighter highlights to play up the folds. She could see it so clearly that if it hadn't felt hopelessly like taking advantage she would have gone hunting for paper and something she could use to sketch and drifted above the scene to start planning it out. Still musing on the idea, she rose a few inches and drifted lower in relation to her lover.

She smiled at that thought. _Her lover_. She sounded it out in her head and her grin broadened a notch as a shiver of remembered pleasure slid over her skin. Mouth still turned up, she drew her hand back for a long moment before reaching out again, fingers again hovering just above the same curves she was examining in such detail. As she reached the sheet, she eased it lower, angling it to reveal shape of Cat's waist and one hip.

 _Much better_ , she decided as she contemplated the aesthetics of the image. Again Kara stroked her fingers in the wake of an imaginary brush, mentally painting what she saw without actually touching. She was planning the strokes that would best capture the play of light and shadow where taut abdominal muscles gathered into the vee of Cat's pelvis when a hand landed lightly on the back of her head and she realized the tip of her nose was at more or less the same level as Cat's belly button.

"Enjoying yourself?" Cat drawled, her voice thick with sleep. She toyed idly with dark gold hair, combing her fingers through the silky mass with a gentle touch.

Kara tipped her chin up to peer at her lover, easily finding muzzy, green eyes in the thin light. She grinned. "More than I can possibly express."

She got a bleary smile in return and the hand on her head shifted, ruffling her hair gently. "You're floating," Cat observed with a raised brow.

"That's what you do to me," Kara sighed happily. Unfolding the arm under her chin, she lowered her hand to the mattress, fingers curling into the sheets. "Make me feel lighter than air."

Cat snorted softly, but her eyes crinkled at the corners and full lips tipped up in a pleased smile. Still staring up at Kara, she did a little hip wiggle and sank deeper into the bedding with an amused smirk that turned wicked as she saw the way Kara's pupils expanded to overtake the blue of her eyes. Unless Cat was very mistaken—which she never was in her opinion—humans weren't the only ones with autonomic pupillary responses when it came to arousal, desire, and their own hunting instincts.

Testing the theory, she repeated the little shimmy maneuver and flashed a predatory look of her own.

Kara gulped and her pupils reacted right on cue.

 _Ah, science._ Cat loved it. "So what _were_ you doing?" she inquired curiously. She been half awake for several minutes, drowsily watching through her lashes as Kara ran her fingers this way and that, tongue caught between her teeth, expression screwed into one of extreme concentration. It had been so fascinating and adorable she'd been loathe to interrupt.

Kara shrugged, a flush crawling over her skin. "You wouldn't believe—"

" _What. Were. You. Doing_?" Cat demanded more pointedly, her eyes glinting imperiously, expression set in her refusal-to-be-denied face.

A soft sigh escaped full lips. "I was painting you in my head," Kara explained, her voice soft and a little embarrassed sounding.

Pale brows drew into a confused frown. "Like a fence?" Cat questioned uncertainly, visions of erotic body paints or maybe some kind of spray tan dancing in her head.

A quick headshake. "No, like a painting," Kara answered through a soft chuckle. "I was planning what I would do if you posed for me." She settled the hand she'd been 'painting' with over Cat's abdomen, fingers spread possessively wide, intensely aware of the tiny hitch in Cat's breathing as she made contact.

Cat blinked, her pupils expanding until her eyes appeared almost black with only a tiny ring of color. Kryptonians weren't the only ones with autonomic responses.

"Would you do that...pose for me, I mean?" Kara asked quietly.

With neurons misfiring all over her brain, it took Cat an extra beat to parse the meaning of Kara's words. "You paint?" she croaked when she finally managed to respond.

Kara nodded. Feeling the little shiver that slid through Cat, she spread her fingers a little wider, just barely pressing and releasing in a gentle rhythm."And I'd love to have you model for me." Rolling her hand, she changed tactics, petting lightly. "Like this." She dropped her eyes to indicate Cat's comfortably sprawled frame, then looked back up hopefully.

"Nude?" Cat clarified uncertainly, the word the barest breath of sound that only superhearing could have made out.

Offering what she hoped was a reassuring smile, Kara nodded again.

Cat blinked again, still struggling to process this new information. "I didn't know you paint," she said to buy time. "I'd love to see your work sometime."

A gentle smile widened into a grin. "Afraid of looking like a Picasso if you say yes?"

"No," Cat dismissed, peering up at Kara with a thoughtful look. She couldn't imagine this amazing young woman doing anything that wasn't superlative, but she was desperately curious. Cat couldn't draw a stick figure, but writing was its own kind of art and she knew how intimate that could be, how it revealed new sides to a person. "They're something you created...a part of you. I want to see your work because I want to know everything about you." She tipped her eyes down as she added, "But posing?" She shook her head self consciously. "I mean, I know I'm hot, but I'm not a model...and nude?" Another head shake, faster this time as a surge of panic slid through her.

"It would just be for me," Kara assured her even as she hid a smile at Cat's bluster. "I wouldn't show it to anyone else." It had never occurred to her that the other woman might think otherwise, but she understood someone in Cat's shoes needed to be wary. Fame could be weird.

"I...I know," the blonde quickly assured her, trusting Kara completely. "But if you want a model wouldn't you rather have someone...I don't know..." Cat paused and peered down at her own naked frame. She knew she'd held up well to the years, knew she was reasonably fit and in clothes had the right fashion sense to put together a very impressive package. But naked? Despite any apparent over-confidence she was well aware that without _a_ layer of _haute couture_ armor, she was a middle aged woman with shoulders that were too narrow, breasts that were too small, and the faint stretch marks left over from carrying two children. "...who was an actual model?" she asked at last, which was as close to admitting to anything less than physical perfection as she was likely to come.

Seeing the insecurity Cat normally kept hidden behind very high emotional walls and oddly pleased she was allowed to catch even a glimpse of it, Kara shook her head. "I want to paint the most beautiful woman in the world," she said very softly.

"Fine. I'll call Angelina Jolie," Cat deadpanned. "And—"

"She'd probably start pointing out her own flaws and scars," Kara interrupted gently.

Cat's mouth snapped shut and she glared, but didn't argue.

"I want to paint _you_ ," Kara said with extra emphasis on the last word, "because I find you beautiful and amazing and I want to capture all the things I see when I look at you." She drifted upward until she was at eye level and floating a few inches above Cat. Trailing her hand up, she settled her palm between the soft swell of her lover's breasts. "I want you to see yourself through my eyes," she explained, "all curves and softness, relaxed, wearing this tiny, sweet smile you never show anywhere else..."

"I'm not sure why my smile requires nudity," Cat confessed on a nervous exhalation.

"It doesn't, but those curves I mentioned?" Smiling tenderly, Kara stroked her hand lower again, ambling along Cat's side until she reached her hip. "I want you to see those too." She let her gaze drop to where her hand rested. "I love the line where your ribcage curves into your waist, then out again into your hip." Enjoying the tiny pleased smile sneaking through Cat's reserve, she couldn't resist going into full-on art geek mode. "And your body language...the way you command space when you move..." She traced the centerline down Cat's torso from her throat to where the sheet fell across her midsection. "It's all loose-limbed, graceful S-curves." Her lips curved up in a lazy, adoring smile. "And even when you're just standing, it's always _contrapposto_..." She grinned in response to Cat's questioning look. "Fancy art term for the way you stand, all your weight on one foot, that in-your-face hip thrust." She rubbed the pad of her thumb over the jut of Cat's hipbone. "Everything about you is like that...vital and beautiful and just daring anyone to piss you off." Leaning down, she pressed a slow, soft kiss over Cat's sternum, taking her time so it was less a kiss and more a tiny slice of lovemaking.

When she lifted her head, she found Cat's eyes were glazed, her lips faintly parted, her breathing ragged. As their eyes met, the older woman swallowed hard.

"Please," Kara whispered. "Let me paint you...just for you and I...let me show you what I see."

A hint of a smile touched full lips and Cat nodded. "I'm never going to be able to deny you anything, am I?" she drawled as she reached up to drape her arms around the solid column of Kara's neck.

"I hope not," Kara admitted. A low moan escaped her lips as Cat hooked slim calves around her hips. Heat roaring through her veins, she allowed herself to be drawn downward, settling comfortably into the woman beneath her.

Cat deliberately rolled her hips, lips quirking into a small, triumphant smile as Kara shuddered and dropped her hands to the mattress to brace herself.

"Then again..." Kara panted raggedly as her eyes threatened to roll back in her head. "You seem to have a few tactics of your own for getting your way." Another rolling hip thrust drew a soft gasp and a tiny whimper as impossibly strong hands clawed into the sheets. "God, Cat."

A teasing smile on her lips, the blonde gloried in her lover's response, thrilled by the power she had over the girl. Holding tight, she arched up to trail suckling kisses along the line of Kara's jaw. "Is there any chance Kryptonians taste different from humans?" she mused as she swirled her tongue against silky skin. "Because I swear you have your own personal flavor."

Feeling like sparks were moving just under the surface of her skin, Kara shivered in response to each roving caress. "Dunno," she mumbled, barely tracking the conversation.

Cat fluttered more kisses down a taut cord in Kara's throat. "A little like honey and vanilla with just a dash of citrus." She dipped her tongue into the hollow of Kara's throat, then looked up again, winking slyly. "Need more taste tests to be certain." Shaping her hands to broad shoulders, she pushed, neatly flipping Kara onto her back and moving to straddle her hips. "Much tastier so far," she pronounced several minutes later. "But we still need more empirical evidence."

"Experiment away," Kara croaked, feet digging into the mattress as her body surged to meet each flickering caress. "Please."

Silky kisses slid lower, exploring the sharp cut of muscle and bone, stroking into deeper hollows, firm here and fluttery soft there. It went on until Kara was whimpering and openly pleading for more.

Then Cat's tongue slid lower, working deeper into silky flesh. "Definitely citrus," she decided out loud after several long minutes.

Kara barely heard her. Sweaty and trembling in a way most people would have thought impossible for Supergirl, she' was all pleas and tremors and quivering flesh.

"But there's also a touch of something floral...like rose hips. Did you know they're edible?"

Lost in the kind of raw pleasure she'd never even suspected could exist before this woman, a mindless moan was Kara's only option.

"They're wonderful," Cat praised. "All silky and sweet..." Another slow stroke followed. "Though honestly, I think you're even better." She looked up, making eye contact for a long moment that left both of them lost and breathless before she very deliberately leaned back down and took complete command.

Kara's head snapped back on her shoulders, and a pleading sound escaped her lips, but otherwise she existed completely at Cat's whim.

And Cat could be very whimsical.

Kara's body rose and fell as Cat willed it, her breathing took on the rhythm of Cat's caresses, her flesh a new landscape to be conquered and served in equal measures, with Cat's personal flag planted solidly on the highest pinnacle.

Which Kara summited with a desperate, whimpery cry.

And when she came back down the other side it was with a dramatic tumble that left her collapsed in the sheets, a limp, wrung out puddle of exhausted Kryptonian who nonetheless had a smile that could probably light up a continent or two. "In Rao's name," she exhaled heavily. "That was..."

" _Yesss_?" Cat prompted when Kara didn't immediately continue.

Kara tried again. "It was..." She didn't finish, couldn't finish. Sufficient words didn't exist, so she defaulted back to that same, bleary, overjoyed smile.

Chuckling softly, Cat clambered up the length of her lover's muscular frame settling in comfortably next to her, her limbs and upper body draped over Kara's chest. "So you approve?" she drawled near a delicate ear.

Nodding, Kara managed a mildly coherent, "Mmhm," of approval as she looped an arm around Cat's waist. "J's lemme catch my breath 'n' I'll r'turn the favor," she mumbled sleepily, her eyes slipping closed.

"No hurry," Cat assured Kara as she nibbled on her earlobe. "The knowledge that I've reduced Supergirl to a gibbering idiot who can't even lift her head is reward enough." She waited a beat then grinned. "At least for the moment."

"Mmm...you're 'n evil woman...Cat Grant..." Kara slurred between increasingly lengthy pauses.

"That _is_ the rumor," Cat confirmed, still nibbling and layering warm kisses along the line of Kara's throat and jaw.

"J's a...li'l...long...er..." Kara mumbled, the final words trailing into her soft, steady breathing.

Cat lifted her head to peer at the younger woman for a long moment, silently assessing that she was indeed sound asleep with a certain personal pride. "Sleep well, my love." Smiling, she pressed a soft kiss to Kara's cheek, then sank down, deliberately willing her body to relax in spite of any left over...excitement. Sighing softly, she snuggled up against warm curves, grateful for what they'd found together. In a few short minutes, she was sound asleep.

Kara's eyes snapped open, the darkness no impediment to her vision as she searched the surrounding room, instantly alert and checking for any threats.

Nothing.

Then something collided with her ribs and she realized it was the woman snuggled in her arms. Cat was tense, eyes moving rapidly beneath her closed lids. Her foot twitched, hitting Kara's calf, not hard, but solidly enough to get her attention.

It took Kara a beat to realize it must have been a similar kick or bump that had knocked her out of sleep, and another beat after that to realize her lover was caught in the throes of some kind of dream, or maybe nightmare. "Hey...Cat," she whispered, gently gathering the other woman close as she carefully petted her hair and cheek.

A tiny whimpery sound escaped slightly parted lips and muscles spasmed in small, random bursts.

"Cat...shh..." She rubbed her lover's back lightly. "Wake up. It's okay." As she kept up the gentle petting, she felt Cat start to stir, her movements becoming more directed and less random as jumpy muscles relaxed and the odd tension started to fade.

Finally green eyes blinked open and Cat stared up at Kara. "Kara?" she exhaled a little uncertainly. She blinked several times, then pushed upright to peer around. "Home," she exhaled. She drew a deep breath and let it out again. "I'm home...in my bed...with you," she whispered, speaking as much to herself as her lover.

"You okay?" Kara asked worriedly. Pushing up, she leaned forward to dust a soft kiss onto the point of Cat's shoulder.

"Fine," Cat whispered, eyes sliding closed as she heaved another deep sigh and let her head fall forward. "Just a...a weird dream."

"You sure?" Kara questioned as she reached out and settled a hand on Cat's back, rubbing in slow, sweeping strokes.

Cat nodded, rolling her shoulders under the soothing massage. After a bit, she tipped her head up, smiling as Kara's hand skimmed higher and began to knead her neck gently.

"Feel good?" Kara asked after several minutes and dropped another light kiss on her lover's shoulder. Cat mumbled something that Kara took for an affirmative, but didn't look back. "You okay?"

"Fine," Cat muttered, her gaze distant, voice softer than usual.

"You sure?" Kara worried, still massaging the stiff muscles in Cat's neck with slow strokes. "Is there anything you want to talk about?"

A beat and then Cat shook herself and leaned into the massage. "I'm fine," she assured Kara, twisting enough to offer a tender smile. "I just don't wake up easily sometimes." Reaching out, she stroked Kara's cheek with the back of her hand, the motion impossibly gentle.

"You sure?" Kara pressed.

"Mmhm," the blonde murmured, then flopped back into the mattress to peer up at Kara with an assessing look. Folding one hand behind her head, she reached up with the other to run a caressing hand down the length of Kara's upper arm. "Sooo, now that we're both awake..." she drawled thoughtfully. "Well, let's just say I heard a rumor earlier about some favors being returned..."

Sinking down onto her side, Kara propped her head on her hand as she studied her lover. "I may have said something like that," she acknowledged, her tone serious, though her eyes were dancing, her worries suddenly forgotten under the impact of the look directed her way.

"There was also something about modeling," Cat mused. Reaching out, she caught Kara's free hand in her own, briefly twining their fingers together as tugged it close enough to carefully study the play of bone and muscle. She rubbed her thumb against the rise of Kara's knuckles, then down a prominent length of bone to the jut of her wrist. "I think you should show me the plan for this painting. I mean, if we're doing this, I'd like to see the kinds of strokes you intend to use." Her mouth twisted into a suggestive smile.

Kara blinked, her heart suddenly racing. "Meaning?" she teased right back.

"I was awake earlier for some of your planning session...when you were laying out my portrait and I..." She pressed a kiss to the tips of strong fingers, then carefully settled Kara's palm on her chest. "I'd love to see more of your technique. After all, I _am_ the Queen-of-All-Media and if I'm going to trust you with such an important project...well, I need to know you're up to the task."

It took Kara a beat to find her voice. "I can do that," she croaked at last. "In fact it would be my _profound_ pleasure." She swallowed hard, dry mouthed and a little dizzy at the prospect. She'd never had anyone show any interest in her art and Cat's curiosity made her heart soar more than a little, not to mention the look in green eyes was enough to make her toes curl.

Cat preened. "Good to know, because I only work with the best."

"We aim to please at Danvers Creations," Kara drawled, startled by how much the prospect excited her. Spreading her hand possessively, she leaned close enough to nuzzle Cat's ear. "I'd start with a mostly black background, then start blocking out your figure in a deep, blue-violet," she explained as she skimmed her palm down the length of her lover's torso. "Then I'd start adding highlights...a few hints of brown and gold here..." She flicked a single finger against the steepest arch of Cat's collarbone. "A lighter shade of blue there." She used two fingers to 'paint' the bundle of muscle that came off the underarm and folded into the undercurve of a gently arched breast.

Cat moaned very softly, her breath catching as she pushed into the teasing strokes.

Noting her lover's response, Kara decided to push the game even farther. "I'd add a flash of dark red now and then." Two fingers swept a tight circle at the apex of a small, tight breast, then her thumb brushed the very tip. "And a bit more gold."

Cat's breathing grew increasingly ragged as the impromptu 'paint brush' wandered lower on her torso, stroking along the line of her ribs and outlining her abdomen while Kara explained every stroke and color she'd use. She was whimpering softly when Kara delicately laid down an imaginary line of white along the curve of her hip, then as Kara finished, she carefully arranged the rumpled sheet so it lay at an angle across Cat's pelvis.

"And that's the basic plan," Kara teased and started to pull her hand back. "After all, I assume you didn't want me to paint—"

Cat dragged it back with a growled, "Don't. You. Dare."

Eyes twinkling, Kara leaned down nibble on a delicate ear. "So you like the idea?"

"Please," Cat gasped, squirming and pressing the hand caught in her own against her belly.

Kara obliged, spreading strong fingers against soft flesh and just barely moving the heel of her palm in a slow rolling rhythm. "I would love to paint every last inch of you," she confessed. She pushed the sheet back, revealing more curves. "The long muscles in your thighs." Pushing into a sitting position, she trailed her knuckles along a taut sinew, then rolled her hand and rubbed the pad of her thumb along the outline of Cat's kneecap. Floating up off the bed, she moved lower. "Your calves." She cupped her hand under the muscle bundle in the back, then grinned when Cat lifted her foot and teased her chest with her toes.

"My feet?" the blonde asked with a grin of her own.

"Every single toe." Kara caught a slender ankle and ducked her head to press tiny kisses to each digit in question. Finally, she looked up, eyes dark and smoky as she contemplated an all new angle. "And when the first painting is done, I'd love to do another one...this time from behind," she said thoughtfully. "Standing on the balcony, cast in reds and golds from a dramatic sunset." Lifting Cat's foot up to her shoulder, she leaned forward, hands skimming down long legs. "You have the most gorgeous back...graceful line to your spine, enough muscle to define, but not overwhelm," she whispered as she turned her head and pressed a soft kiss to her lover's inner calf. "And while your shoulders are narrow, the taper down to your waist is sublime...and the flare of your hips and thighs and...well, y'know..." She made a soft growling sound.

"Does that translate as you think I have a nice ass?" Cat asked through a smile, her tone wry.

Broad shoulders rising in a hint of an embarrassed shrug, Kara nodded.

"Mmmm, good girl," Cat praised, mouth turned up in a thoroughly satisfied smile as she sank back into the mattress.

"I try." Deliberately holding Cat's gaze, Kara let her palm trail down the length of her lover's leg, smoothing and stroking the way she would have laid paint on canvas with a broad brush. "I'd try to capture the way you move, the sway of your hips and swing of your arms and legs...the way you own your space." Pushing forward, she scooped her hands under her lover's hips, lifting ever so slightly.

They shared a look and Kara silently asked permission.

Cat tipped her head ever so slightly to the side, considering, then nodded her assent.

It was a simple maneuver for a woman who could carry a space station into orbit. Muscles flexed and she lifted and guided Cat onto her stomach, then surged up, hands landing on the mattress on either side of slim shoulders, torso brushing the length of Cat's back. Leaning close, she skimmed pale hair aside and nibbled lightly on the back of her neck. "I'd paint it so it's obvious why you're going inside—we can see the intention in the commanding sway of your hips, the perfect posture, straight shoulders...you'd only pose that way for a lover..."

Her breathing ragged, Cat braced her hands on the mattress and pushed up into the body above hers, barely able to contain a moan as she felt the press of warm breasts and solid muscle.

Kara trailed a soft kiss up the length of Cat's neck even as she lifted her right hand from the mattress and traced a finger up the length of her lover's arm. "The doorway's dark and you're all reds and golds, an angel against blue-black shadows." She nosed into silky locks. "I'd paint your hair so it was in flying on a breeze, delicate strands fluttering all around your head, each thread curving and wild and dotted with bits of highlight."

"Kara." Tipping her head back, Cat hissed with growing pleasure as sharp teeth found a sensitive point in the soft flesh that curved away from her neck. The pressure increased and dragged along the line of her shoulder, the combination of sensation and the emotional feeling of being claimed sending a sharp bolt of heat through her. "Paint," she commanded, wanting to know more, amazed by arousing it was to hear how this woman saw her and wanted to portray her.

"Good girl," it was Kara's turn to praise. She grinned as she heard her lover's faintly annoyed grumble—Cat wasn't one for giving up power easily—then Cat rolled her backside into Kara's pelvis, the move achingly sexual, and Kara shuddered hard.

"Paint," Cat growled again, the sound low and throaty and raw enough to leave Kara shivering and lightheaded.

"Right," Kara exhaled and pushed to her knees. Cat would have followed suit, but Kara settled a hand on her back with the whispered command, "Stay." She felt Cat bristle and leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Can't paint if the model keeps moving."

The reminder earned a soft sigh of surrender and Cat nodded.

Sitting back on her heels, Kara spread both hands on the smooth plane of Cat's upper back. "I'd start by blocking out your figure in burnt umber." She began smoothing her hands down sleek muscle and smooth curves, working imaginary paint this way and that as she added more details, explaining the blacks and blues she'd add to the shadows in small dabs, the way she'd blend, the direction of each stroke.

"God, Kara," Cat hissed through tightly clenched teeth, tiny shivers moving over her skin as she fought the urge to roll over and demand more. It was good, almost painfully so, letting Kara control the pace this way, but also a profound challenge to her very nature.

"Time for the midtones," Kara whispered near Cat's ear as she brought her fingers together. "And smaller brushes." She felt the answering shudder that slid through her lover. "Reds, oranges, browns...sunset colors," she mused and began adding fresh strokes, smoothing an imaginary flow of paint outward and down. "Following the deep muscles in your back." She stroked lower. "Your thighs." She pressed two fingers into tight muscle, digging in with massaging strokes. "Your ass," Kara teased, purposely mimicking Cat's term.

Awash in sensation, Cat could barely even think. "You're an evil woman, Kara Danvers," she gasped, the words somewhere between a complaint and a compliment.

Kara froze as it abruptly struck her that wasn't the name she wanted to hear on Cat's lips. "Zor El," she whispered as she leaned down to nuzzle her lover's ear.

"Wha'?" Cat exhaled in confusion.

"Kara Zor El is my real name," Kara whispered. "My Kryptonese name." She nipped Cat's ear then dragged sharp incisors against the lobe. "I want to hear you say it...Kara Zor El," she growled.

Reaching up and back Cat snagged her fingers around the back of her lover's head to tug her closer. "Kara Zor El," she repeated, savoring each syllable. She turned her head enough to peer into blue eyes, caught by the intensity of love and caring glowing there. "It's beautiful," she exhaled and used her hold to drag her young lover into a slow, searching kiss. "And I plan on using it a lot, but right now, _Kara Zor El._.." her gaze turned commanding, "...you have a painting to finish...or a lover," she added on a soft whimper. "Possibly both."

Unable to contain a broad grin, Kara nodded, then her expression turned more serious and she nibbled on the point of Cat's chin and shared a fast kiss before pulling back, hands already moving over graceful curves and oulining taut sinew. "Sounds like it's time to focus on highlights," she whispered as she traced the sharp rise of Cat's shoulderblade with the pad of her thumb.

Cat finally openly moaned, fingers clawing into the sheets as she rolled her shoulders and let her forehead drop to the mattress. She was literally shaking with want.

"Red paint tends to bleed through, so when working in reds and golds, it's best if you build the hightlights in layers...it helps keep that from happening and also gives the painting more depth...particularly if you add more shadows as you're working." As she spoke, her fingers moved this way and that, sometimes spreading her 'brushes' wider, others rolling her fingers the way she knew how to roll a brush tip to sharpen a line.

"Kara," Cat gasped, pushing harder into every touch. "Please."

"Shhh...soon," Kara soothed. "With every layer of paint, it would get a little lighter...less red, more orange, then gold. And every layer would focus on different rises and hollows...different muscle groups. The color gets lighter, but the sense of depth increases." She ran her fingers along the vee at the base of Cat's spine. "I'd add a highlight right here," she whispered and fluttered her fingers along a ripple of muscle, then slipped them lower without quite making contact with her lover's most intimate flesh. "Would you let me paint everything?" she murmured, her voice a low rumble as she dropped her other hand to the mattress and stretched out over Cat.

And Cat broke, surging to her knees and up into her lover with a pleading whine.

"I've got you," Kara whispered. Wrapping an arm around the woman beneath her, she spread her hand possessively on Cat's abdomen, steadying her. "In more ways than one," she added as she slid her hand lower. She bit down just hard enough to lightly mark a slim shoulder and pressed her hand deep into the valley between firm thighs.

A hard tremor shook Cat as strong fingers finally slicked over her sex and she would have collapsed if not for Kara's strength. One hand braced on the mattress, she reached up and back with the other, scrabbling for a hold on thick hair.

Kara purposely shook her hold off, refusing to let Cat take control even as bore down with her hips.

Another shudder rattled through Cat as Kara stroked again, strong fingers moving in sharp counterpoint to the slow thrusts. "So close," she groaned, eyes rolling back in her head. She felt Kara's body shake almost as hard as her own. As good as it was, she didn't want to be alone in her pleasure, she wanted Kara with her. "Need you," she groaned, fingers digging into the mattress as she abruptly twisted, landing on her back. She grabbed for Kara with her arms and hooked her calves around muscular thighs. "Now," she growled, pulling Kara to her or herself to Kara. It didn't matter. It only mattered that they touched, bodies naturally aligning and adjusting to each other. Mouths met and mated even they began a slow dance, instinctively falling into an age-old rhythm.

Clinging tightly, they moved together, bodies heaving, skin slicked with sweat, hands scrabbling desperately to touch and caress. As it went on, they both shook, muscles rippling with increasing tension as both of them drew closer to the ultimate pinnacle.

Then Cat let out a soft keening cry, eyes rolling back as she arched into the press of Kara's body, every muscle straining fiercely as her body desperately sought the pure pleasure that lay just ahead.

"C'mon, love, almost," Kara whispered raggedly, then found Cat's mouth in another raw kiss. She tasted Cat's low moan as the implosion came. A beat, and the thrill of awareness of her lover's orgasm sent her careening off the cliff only a few moments behind her. "By Rao," she gasped as Cat collapsed into the mattress and Kara collapsed into Cat. She nosed into the curve of Cat's shoulder. "You're amazing," she sighed, suddenly limp.

"You're not so bad y'rself," Cat exhaled, her voice soft and ragged. Smiling, she arched up and pressed a soft kiss onto Kara's mouth.

A bleary smile pasted on her lips, Kara pushed up enough to peer down into green eyes. "Not that I"m complaining, but wasn't that supposed to be about you?"

Cat grinned, stretching luxuriously and toying with the hair at the back of Kara's neck. "Trust me, it was," she sighed. "It was just more fun with you along for the ride." She wiggled gently, burrowing into the mattress while still clinging to the body above her. "Have I mentioned how much I love having you on top of me...just heavy enough to feel you everywhere, but floaty enough not to crush." A cheeky grin snuck through. "Absolutely perfect," she sighed happily.

"Yes, you are," Kara agreed, ducking her head to trade a few more lazy kisses, loving the relaxed affection in the aftermath.

Increasingly relaxed as their bodies came down from the high of their lovemaking, they traded more slow kisses and settled into a barely conscious tumble of loosely twined limbs.

"So do I get the job as official portrait artist to the Queen-of-All-Media?" Kara mumbled when she could speak again.

Cat chuckled and laid claim to soft lips. Several kisses later, she nodded, her voice a tired rasp as she answered, "I think so, though I may want to test your skills a bit more to make absolutely certain I have the right candidate."

Kara grinned at Cat's sleepy version of her most officious tone. "Mmm, I think that can be arranged," she mumbled.

The kisses and caresses didn't stop immediately, but they slowed, fading into soft breathing and sprawled bodies.

"I love you," Kara exhaled as she felt herself slipping away into sleep.

"I know," Cat sighed, nosing into her lover's shoulder as she felt the last of her strength fleeing. "It's mutual," she sighed.

After that, they both slid away into dreams, still snuggled close.

 _She was plummeting, the wind rushing past her, the earth coming up fast, terror sucking the very air from her lungs. Death was imminent and unavoidable and—_

Cat Grant snapped awake, heart a roaring freight train in her chest, entire body trembling violently.

And the first thing she saw was her sleeping lover.

She lurched back, terror momentarily holding her in its grip before she realized where she was and that familiar features were soft in sleep. "Kara," she exhaled and sat up slowly, moving like something who'd taken more than a few baseball bat blows. Her breathing still ragged, she reached down, gently petting silky hair back from well loved features with the gentlest of strokes. "Just Kara."

Kara stirred ever so slightly at the delicate touch, but didn't fully waken or open her eyes, just mumbled, "Love you." She was asleep again in moments.

Cat peered at the younger woman for a long time. Finally, she leaned down to press a soft kiss to Kara's forehead before settling back into the blankets, tugging them back up over herself where they'd fallen away. She silently watched Kara sleep for a long time before she finally closed her eyes and slid away again.

End...


	3. Mornings After, Before, and Dur

**Author's Note:** short story per chapter.

 **Summary:** Morning loving, but also some more serious issues (like food because, yeah, Kara...). Mostly, this one is fluff, plus some sexy times. This is the calm.

 **Hearts Falling**

 **Mornings After, Before, and During**  
 **by Pink Rabbit Productions**

Kara's nose twitched.

Then twitched again.

Third twitch.

Fourth.

Her stomach rumbled. Loudly.

By the fifth twitch there was a definite smacking of her lips and a certain amount of salivating.

At which point, her stomach rumbled again, even more loudly, and she blinked, awakened by the both the sound and increasingly sharp hunger pangs. Another blink brought with it the awareness that she was in her lover's bed, sunlight on her face.

Morning then.

She flopped an arm out, disappointed to find the other side of the bed empty even as her nose twitched again and she realized there was a truly wondrous odor wafting by. She sat bolt upright, mouth already watering and sniffed.

Cinnamon, apples, vanilla, and baking smells.

Kara was out of bed and into shorts and a tank in a heartbeat. She entered the kitchen in another heartbeat. By the third beat, she was looping her arms loosely around Cat's waist where she stood at a butcher block island in the middle of the room. She rested her chin on a slim shoulder, and peered at what Cat was doing. "Something smells wonderful," she murmured, the words coming fast enough that it took Cat a second to parse the meaning. "Which is kind of astounding given the way I've been grazing for the last few days. I'm surprised you had any ingredients left." She peered down at a pair of pie plates that contained what looked like a very shallow apple pie, or maybe some kind of crumble. "What is it?"

"German apple pancakes," Cat responded and leaned back into Kara. "I found a can of apple pie filling in the pantry, and even you don't eat raw flour, so..." She nodded to indicate the plates. "These are done and there are three more in the oven." Her breath hitched as Kara kept up the soft kisses and tiny nibbles and she went wobbly enough in the knees that she had to lean a little harder and trust Kara to keep her upright.

"Rich, beautiful, amazing in bed, _and_ you cook?" Kara fluttered soft kisses up the length of Cat's throat. "Be still my heart."

"It's not your heart I'm worried about," Cat teased and did a slow turn inside Kara's arms. She ran a single finger down the length her lover's torso, ending with a light pat over her stomach. "You've been very...active the last couple of days. Can't have Supergirl with low blood sugar." Grinning, she pushed up on her toes to share a soft kiss. And then another. "There's also bacon," she pointed out, hooking a thumb over her shoulder. Which earned yet another kiss.

"So where was that hiding?" Kara asked between kisses. "Thought I got it all."

"Bottom of the big freezer in the pantry," Cat explained, and let out a small squeak as she was suddenly lifted onto the cooking island. "Kara," she gasped even as graceful hands reached for the front of her robe. "There's food on here."

Kara glanced up, then over, then grinned.

Cat felt the whisper of a touch, then a faint breeze and the world blurred for the briefest moment, then Kara was leaning back over her, only now, when Cat tipped her head back, she saw the pie plates had been moved over to the counter next to the stove. She was still poised like that when a hand stroked lightly down the center of her torso, parting her robe as it moved. It was easy enough to read the intention in the gesture—it was hardly hidden. However, she was a woman who was never without her hand sanitizer, and despite the wonder of spontaneity, this was so very not sanitary. "I prepare meals _on_ this island," she pointed out, proud her voice only cracked once because...well...because... "You know, that we eat."

"Mmhm," Kara confirmed between soft, sucking kisses that slipped lower with each bit of contact. "How apropos."

A gentle bite brought a low moan and did crazy things to Cat's resolve that this was in no way proper, but she tried. She really did. "It's not remotely sanitary," she complained.

"We can disinfect later," Kara assured her and dipped lower.

"It's a wooden butcher block," Cat gasped. "Wood doesn't...doesn't disinfect...well..." she stammered, thinking she might just have to have the thing torn out and replaced if they went ahead with this.

Which possibly would be worth it.

Kara just chuckled. No other response, just a low, throaty laugh. Well, that and some very soft kisses, plus one distinct hickey delivered to a silky, inner thigh.

At which point Cat had no more words. Her head fell back on her shoulders and a soft whimper escaped her lips. It did occur that this was probably her own damn fault because just a few days ago, Kara had been borderline to virginal and quite uncertain about the whole sex thing and Cat had been tender and quite instructional and dear god what had she created?

Because Kara was amazing, her touch gentle, but firm, her hands, her kisses, her entire body really, guiding, then commanding, then demanding, until Cat was pleading, her hips rising and falling, muscles trembling, entire body dancing to Kara's tune. Somewhere in all of it, she heard herself begging, tiny, keening cries slipping from her lips in a way previous lovers wouldn't have believed possible. Hell, Cat barely believed it and she was living it.

The girl definitely wasn't borderline anything but insanely sensual anymore.

In fact, Cat had possibly created a monster.

"Soon," Kara promised, her voice low and commanding as she glanced up from the task at hand. She ducked her head and was back to her work in a heartbeat.

An incredibly creative, sexy, appealing, charismatic monster, Cat thought as she reached for, and found thick blonde hair. She wound slim fingers into the soft strands, her innate nature driving her to try and assert a bit of control of her own.

But Kara shook free and laughed softly, the vibration from the sound playing over intimate flesh, then filtering up through bone and muscle, echoing inside chest and lungs, and surging with the growing number of tiny, desperate whimpers. No other lover had ever controlled Cat for even a moment. She'd never allowed it, never thought she would allow it, but then it had never occurred to her that Kara could have such an alpha side.

But she did. Oh, how she did. And it was very—

Cat moaned, the sound a ragged, broken plea.

—so very, very amazing.

Even if it wasn't remotely sanitary.

And when Kara finally drove her over the line and gifted her with an orgasm that curled her toes and made her eyes roll back in her head, pleasure pulsating through her body until she utterly collapsed, her lover's name was the only word left on her lips.

Cat was still trying to catch her breath when Kara gently tugged her hips to the edge of the butcher block and eased her upright. Strong arms wrapped around her as she was snuggled against Kara's chest. A sudden thought occurred. "The oven...it'll burn..." The last thing they needed was the acrid smell of smoke ruining the moment.

"Already took care of it," Kara assured her and nodded to the counter where she'd moved the first dishes. There were now three more cooling.

Clearly superspeed had its advantages. Cat wondered precisely when Kara had broken away for that brief moment, but her memory couldn't come up with anything. Oh well.

Wrapping her legs around strong thighs to tug Kara closer, she snuggled into the arms that looped around her. "We should eat," she mumbled as she nosed into a well-made chest and mused on solid curves and bodily warmth that seemed slightly greater than her own.

Sounding all of about twelve, Kara giggled, but resisted the obvious joke, instead nuzzling Cat's temple to whisper soft words in a language unrecognizable to human ears. And though Cat didn't understand the individual words, she understood the meaning. It was all there in her tone and cadence. She looked up, sharing a long look, a tender smile on her lips. "I know," she exhaled. "Me too."

They stayed like that, just holding each other until Kara's stomach grumbled. Loudly.

Cat rolled her eyes. "Good thing I'm rich if I'm going to be feeding this beast," she teased and patted Kara's stomach lightly.

Blushing, Kara shrugged. "Right, blame the alien instead of the insatiable blonde who requires so much energy to keep satisfied," she joked as she stepped away to set the table.

Grinning proudly, Cat nodded. "Damn straight," she confirmed, then snapped, "Wash your hands," before Kara could get more than a couple of steps.

"Insatiable, _picky_ blondes," Kara snorted, but she reached for the soap.

Cat giggled. It was good to be the queen.

Later, after the food had been devoured and they lay sprawled in a tangle on the livingroom couch while Kara's eyes randomly crossed and uncrossed. "Probably a good thing we got some calories...y'know...before we did... _that_ ," she gasped and flopped back into the cushions.

Cat flashed a canary-getting grin, then did a boneless collapse into the cushions beside her lover. "Dear God, I've turned into some kind of sex maniac," she sighed, preening happily as she heard Kara's tiny grunt of...something...laughter, agreement, approval maybe. "I am endlessly aroused by you." She pushed up enough to peer at Kara affectionately. "Which is so not my usual self," she admitted, then paused to think about it for a moment. "Are you some kind of alien aphrodisiac?" she asked mock-suspiciously as she settled a hand on Kara's chest. She grinned as her lover's breath hitched.

"Not that I've ever been able to tell from previous experience." Kara offered a small, embarrassed shrug. "Though, like I said, it's not a very impressive list."

A blonde brow arched as Cat considered that answer and resisted the temptation to express her pleasure over Kara's lack of experience, uncertain the younger woman would appreciate her possessive streak. "Maybe it was the fall," she mused thoughtfully. "Maybe we should do an article on the effect of near-death experiences on sexual desire." She tipped her head to one side as she carefully studied her lover. "Or maybe..."

Grinning, Kara stretched luxuriantly, reaching up over her head and deliberately showing off full breasts and a well muscled torso. She loved the way Cat's pupils expanded and her lips curved upward as she got this very particular look in her eye, one that broadcast very clearly just how much she enjoyed the view and how many plans she had for expressing that enjoyment.

Kara was getting addicted to that look.

"...maybe it's just that you're insanely sexy," Cat finished, suddenly breathless, her eyes sparkling.

"I _like_ that," Kara drawled, wrapping an arm around sleek curves as the blonde settled against her. "Your own personal insanely sexy superheroine," she teased.

Pressing closer, Cat nipped Kara's collarbone. She was tempted to pout when there wasn't even the faintest mark. The downside, she supposed, of superheroes. Pushing up on an elbow, she rubbed her thumb where her teeth had been toying with soft flesh. The teasing light faded from her eyes and she kept rubbing slow circles. "My own?" she asked after a long moment, her tone oddly uncertain considering what they'd been up to for several days.

"Absolutely," Kara breathed and reached up, smoothing her thumb along Cat's lower lip. The look in her eyes was a serious promise. "Yours." It made her heart stutter when she saw the same kind of promise in the green eyes studying her so carefully.

They stayed like that for a long time, idly touching, gazes holding steadily. Finally, Cat sighed softly as she remembered the early morning phone call she still hadn't found time to tell Kara about. "I...uh...I heard from Carter's father this morning," she said, the words coming with uncharacteristic hesitancy. She knew there were things that needed to be said, but she didn't want to upend the safe space they'd been in for several days, not so soon while it still felt soap bubble fragile. "The trip's running short. They'll be back tomorrow afternoon," she continued, the words coming in a rush, her tone an odd mix of worried and excited. Her son was the center of her life in many ways. She couldn't be unhappy he was coming home, but this had come to mean so much so quickly that anything that might upset it felt threatening. "This...uh...I can't..." She paused for a beat. "We can't do this once he's home."

Kara felt her heart sink, the realization that the easy idyllic time they'd enjoyed was coming to an end threatening to overwhelm her. "It's okay," she exhaled before Cat could get any farther. "I understand. I'll...uh...I'll make sure I'm out early and I don't leave anything." She looked away, her throat suddenly painfully tight. "I won't...I mean...you don't have to worry that I'll...I'll embarrass you in any way." She swallowed hard, amazed by how badly she'd misread everything. She'd thought they were on a good road, but suddenly—

"Kara, wait," Cat clipped, her voice a odd mix of sharp and soothing. "I know you wouldn't. I just wanted to make sure things were clear."

Of course she did, Kara thought. This hadn't been a promise of something deeper and long term. It had just been a booty call, and those only lasted so long, then out the door. Oh, maybe they'd meet up again, and have some fun the next Carter was with his dad, but—

"Kara, stop," Cat snapped her voice hard enough to pull Kara to a total halt.

She suddenly realized she was floating several inches above the couch. Swallowing hard, she consciously dropped back down. "Sorry," she mumbled, her eyes downcast. "I just...uh—"

"Kara," Cat repeated, her tone firm.

Kara swallowed hard and fell silent. She couldn't even think in that moment, but she could listen. Just barely.

Cat eased forward, moving slowly to cup Kara's face in her hands, every instinct telling her there was something very complicated going on here and she needed to be careful and not scare the girl off. "I think we should start with a trip to the Air and Space Museum."

Kara blinked, brows creasing with her confusion. "Wha'?" What did the Air and Space Museum have to do with anything?

"I mean, yes, Carter knows you...and he really liked you, but you've met him..." Cat paused momentarily, struggling with how best to discuss her son's issues. "He doesn't always handle change well...and _this_..." She gestured back and forth between the two of them. "... _this_ _will_ be a change even though he knows and likes you."

Still struggling to parse the meaning, Kara could only stare. "B-but I thought...you said we can't..." she whispered raggedly.

"We can't do _this_ ," Cat said very gently, then nodded to indicate the both of them. "No all day sexathons. Not even any sleeping over...at least not at first. I've been single most of his life—and I don't bring people home—so we need to move carefully."

Kara felt as though her pulse went from a dead stop to roaring in a beat.

"Which was why I was thinking we should start simple...the three of us doing things he enjoys...get him used to the idea..." Cat trailed to a halt and paused suddenly, staring at Kara, uncertain what the ongoing silence meant. "I...I've jumped the gun, haven't I?" she suddenly muttered and looked uncomfortable. She'd thought that as long as they'd known each other, and with the things they'd been through together, waiting seemed silly. Perhaps not. "I thought..." She shook her head and looked away from Kara. "I should have waited," she muttered after a beat, speaking more to herself than her lover. "I shouldn't push. I always do that..." She gnawed on her lower lip. "...move too fast...push too hard. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"

"Cat," Kara said just loudly enough to be heard. She almost laughed, but the sound would have been giddy and possibly a bit unhinged sounding and she didn't think that would help. "You didn't push for anything I don't want," she assured her lover. She heaved a sigh of relief and sat up, tugging Cat onto her lap and leaning until their foreheads just touched. "I-I thought you were throwing me out...that it was just a—"

"No," Cat denied, not needing further explanation. Kara's tone said it all. Her eyes slid closed and she leaned more firmly into the girl. "It never occurred to me you'd think that. But I know what the gossip is...the crap they print in the rags and I just...I didn't want you to think I've had a parade of people in and out of my bed...particularly in front of my son." She shook her head. "I wouldn't do that to him."

"I know," Kara assured her, then offered a smile meant to smooth over any remaining tension. "If nothing else, I know your schedule. You don't have the time," she teased.

Cat rolled her eyes, but offered a pleased smile and snuggled down, feeling warm and safe as powerful arms enfolded her. "I want to do this with you," she whispered and felt solid muscle start to relax. "It's going to take time," she acknowledged, settling in a little more thoroughly, "but I think we can build something..." She looked up then, finding blue eyes and searching for the same confidence she felt. "...amazing..." She was loathe to admit it, but she'd only had this sense of something astounding on her horizon twice before in her life. The first was when she incorporated CatCo with little more than a business plan, a few loans and a lot of ambition and the second was when a nurse settled Carter into her arms for the first time and he peered up at her with the wisdom of the ages in his eyes. "Kara?" she whispered after a long moment of total silence, once again wondering if perhaps she was pushing too hard.

Overwhelmed by a thick rush of emotion, Kara couldn't speak. Her throat was too tight, while her brain seemed to have gone completely blank. Feeling her heart crashing in her chest, she swallowed hard, and clung tightly, not lust this time, but a vaguely panicked realization of just how much this woman meant to her and how close she'd come to losing her. "God, Cat," she gasped as she nosed into the other woman's shoulder, unintentionally nudging Cat onto her back as she braced herself protectively around and above her. "I want all of that...everything... with you," she whispered at last and pushed up on her hands, deliberately not floating because she needed to maintain as much bodily contact as possible.

Jade green eyes slid closed and slim hands clung more tightly to solid shoulders. Cat took a deep breath, then let it out slowly, deliberately calming rattled nerves even as something inside her warmed and spread. She was amazed by how quickly this thing had developed between them. It had never been like that before for her, never so fast and never so easy and if she paused and thought about it too long, the whole thing was scary and confusing.

Cat Grant didn't do easy. She did miserable, nagging, bitter, and bloody, emotionally, if not literally.

And yet with Kara, there was the mad lust common to any relationship in the beginning, but there was also a trust and comfort that was all new. Tugging lightly, she pulled Kara back down to share a slow kiss. "We can do this," she exhaled when they parted.

Kara nodded. "We can," she agreed. "Together."

Cat nodded. "Together..."

End...


	4. The Shame Isn't in the Walk

**Story:** The Shame Isn't in the Walk  
 **Summary:** Kara, Cat and Alex all end up in Kara's apartment, leading to a necessary conversation between Kara and her sister.

 **Hearts Falling 4:**

 **The Shame Isn't in the Walk**

If Kara had been paying attention she probably would have noticed the looseness of her front doorknob or the scratch marks around the lock, but half asleep, her body still humming with pleasure, she just breezed through, feet just barely touching the ground, and that faint contact was only with some effort when what she really wanted to do was just keep flying.

Preferably high and fast and grinning the whole time because it turned out that contrary to her previous impression, sex really could be all it was cracked up to be with the right partner and she was pretty damned good at it. Enough so that if Carter hadn't been on his way home, she'd still be enjoying her favorite new pastime, or at least staring adoringly at Cat and contemplating her favorite new pastime.

A broad grin on her face and an extra bounce in her step, she bounded into the kitchen as she contemplated what she might have on hand in the way of food. Cat's kitchen had been on the sparse side after Kara had spent several days free-ranging during their down times. Unfortunately, she wasn't certain her own kitchen was much better. Left overs were out. She never had any. And it had been close to a week since she'd done a grocery run. Which meant—

"So who is it?"

Kara jumped two feet and pivoted toward her livingroom, mouth pursing as she spotted Alex where she was lounging on the couch in a darkened corner of the room. Her sister grinned, showing teeth so white Kara was amazed she hadn't noticed her before. "Who's what?" Kara questioned, not liking the way Alex's eyes were sparkling at all. Experience told her that when her sister got that look, it didn't bode well for her.

"Who's the SOB who sent my sister home alone on the walk of shame?"

 _Oh hell, Alex knew_. Kara felt a bright flush crawl up her cheeks. "I don't know what you're—"

"Don't even," her sister cut her off, her tone sharp, though her eyes were twinkling. She pushed to her feet. "You missed movie night—"

"I told you—"

"And game night," Alex added with a smirk.

"I had to work," Kara insisted, her voice rising in volume enough to speak over Alex. "Ever since the attack, Cat's been on a tear," she continued, making an effort to sound outraged at what Alex was suggesting. "I would never—"

Alex flashed her an annoyed look and shook her head. "Oh, please. I stopped by CatCo both nights to offer food and sympathies over her highnesss. You were nowhere near the place." She smirked. "And when I asked around, your boss has been taking some time off since her little plunge, so you've been fibbing, sis."

"I...we must have just—"

"Do not," Alex warned her little sister and shook a finger right in her face.

Kara's mouth snapped shut.

Alex smirked and reached past Kara to swing the fridge door open. "Got you some groceries by the way. I noticed the larder was bare and figured you'd be hungry _after_ the walk of shame."

"Would you please stop calling it that?" Kara demanded through a flinch.

Alex just grinned. "Got lotsa protein," she pointedly ignored Kara. "Gotta keep your strength up after all." She waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"Alex!" Kara snapped and held up her hands in a combination surrender and halting motion. Then a thought struck her. "Hey, my landlord replaced the lock just last week, and I didn't give you the new key yet."

Dark brows shot up, and Alex might have looked the tiniest bit guilty for a brief second, then grinned and said, "So about whoever caused the _Walk of Shame_ —"

But Kara was already headed for the front door. At super speed. "You broke in," she yelped, then jiggled the knob and noted the looseness. "Alex, I just had that fixed from when _I_ broke it! My landlord's never going to believe two faulty doorknobs in a row."

Alex waved it off. "I'll get somebody from the DEO to deal with it...and get the new key from them."

Kara snorted something unkind under her breath about not necessarily wanting Alex coming and going with no warning, but kept her argument more impersonal. "The landlord needs a copy of the key...which you would know if you actually had a life outside of the DEO."She pushed the door shut and spun to find her sister standing a couple of feet away and grinning. "And I would rather _not_ have the entire DEO traipsing through the place at all hours." There was a reason she kept 'forgetting' to give Alex the new key.

"Sooo," Alex drawled thoughtfully, completely ignoring Kara's efforts to change the subject. "Are things back on with James?" she asked with a grin. "I know he's still interested."

"No," Kara responded as she disappeared, then reappeared, screwdriver in hand and began trying to tighten the locking plate on her doorknob.

"Ooo, decided to give Winn a whirl, then?"

Kara glared over the top rim of her glasses.

Alex showed no sign of noticing, just folded her arms and waited patiently.

"No," Kara finally muttered.

"Is it somebody from the DEO?"

"No," Kara replied in a tone that didn't invite further questions.

Not knowing that many people at CatCo, Alex found herself somewhat at a loss, though she had been there enough times to get a few glimpses of the staff. "Hmmm, that cute guy that works for James...the blonde with the broad shoulders and the—"

"No," Kara growled.

A sudden thought occurred to the brunette. "Please tell me it's not Max Lord."

Kara froze, then tipped her head up and stared at her sister in open disbelief. _"God no_ ," she exhaled after a moment and shuddered in genuine horror. "Why would you even think...of... _that_?" She shuddered and muttered under her breath. "Gross."

"I dunno. I just thought he's kinda cute...in a vaguely psychopathic way." Alex shrugged and was just drawing breath to apologize and admit she'd gone a step too far when there was a light knock on the door.

Kara glared. "Not that cute and extremely psychopathic way," she corrected, then pushed to her feet, and opened the door in one move. She froze as she saw who stood there.

One Cat Grant, dressed down, which meant black yoga pants, a very expensive, very gaudy pair of Margiela sneakers and a simple grey and black t-shirt that probably cost more than Kara's monthly rent. She was dragging some kind of rolling luggage cart loaded with groceries behind her, and had a single, smaller bag tucked in one arm. As Kara stared, goggle-eyed, Cat nodded to indicate the bag and offered a sly smile.

"Ice cream," Cat drawled. "I know how much you _enjoy_ it."

A dull flush crawled over Kara's cheeks as she remembered exactly how and how much she'd enjoyed Cat's supply. She swallowed hard. "I...um...I thought you...umm.. _.Carter_?" she said, her voice rising in question at the end.

Cat shrugged. "His father changed plans...again...not due home until tomorrow." She made a pouty face. "And I couldn't sit home quietly."

"Oh, that's...um..." Kara trailed off, not wanting to admit to the tiny leap of joy that they had another night. Meanwhile, she heard Alex muttering behind her, musing on assorted men she'd seen in places where Kara was likely to spend time. She seriously considered slapping her when she reached the very openly gay male barista at Noonan's who regularly flirted with both Winn and James and either ignored her or got her order wrong.

"So I guessed you could use groceries." Cat grinned proudly and simply pushed the door open to breeze past both of them with a mildly distracted, "Agent Scully," directed at Alex along the way.

Kara did a sharp pivot just in time to see Alex's equally distracted response, a grumbled, "Mmph," and the smallest possible acknowledging hand gesture.

From where she stood it was perversely fascinating to watch them. Technically, they were existing in the same space, but somehow both women had developed a weird sort of blindness to that fact. Alex moved back to the couch, completely focused on her phone, muttering to herself as she scrolled through various options and occasionally entered new search topics only to discard whatever answer she got with growled complaints.

Cat, meanwhile, was busy being entirely too cheerful for someone who was usually the grumpiest person in the room. A smile on her face and occasionally humming softly, she was deeply involved in the relatively mundane act of putting away groceries. She teased Kara, making jokes and comments that were just barely short of open flirting. Once she even bumped Kara's hip, and turned on a wicked grin. In fact, the only hint of her usual brusque manner was her response upon discovering several store brand items in the refrigerator.

She straightened and did a sharp pivot, turning a pointed glare toward Kara as she held up a jar of pickles. She pointed at the rather generic logo and pursed her lips tightly.

Cat Grant did not do store brands.

"Um, Alex," Kara murmured defensively, nodding toward her still furiously researching sister. "She...uh...well, she got here before I did and noticed my fridge was bare, so she helped out."

"Ah," Cat exhaled, mouth pursed into a disapproving line. "I suppose she was _trying_ to be helpful," she muttered, tone kinder, but still tinged with disapproval. She glanced at the brand name on the counter, then the generic version of the same item her hand, then at Kara who shrugged helplessly. Finally, she settled for shoving the store brands to the back, but not throwing them out the way Kara was certain she would have done in her own home. "You'll eat it eventually," Cat observed with an eyeroll and a headshake that expressed clearly what she thought of that idea. She pinned a sharp gaze on Kara as she picked up another item Alex had brought. "Cheese food?" she sighed and shook her head. "There's cheese in a can somewhere in this apartment, isn't there?"

"Possibly. " Kara flinch-shrugged. "It's name brand," she offered hopefully, then added, "The WalMart version is really awful."

Cat's expression said quite clearly that they were all awful, but she didn't argue, whereas Alex never looked up, but did mutter in the background, "The WalMart extra sharp cans are pretty good."

Kara shuddered and shook her head. " _No, they're not_ ," she mouthed to Cat who rolled her eyes and went back to putting things away.

Alex, meanwhile, seemed to be scrolling through her phone at an ever higher rate of speed.

Kara abruptly realized she'd come to a halt, head tipped to one side, and was simply watching Alex, uncertain quite what to make of her actions. She'd been there a minute or two when she abruptly became aware of Cat moving abreast of her and mimicking her pose, head likewise tipped to the side, brows drawn into a frown.

"She's very...intense..." Cat exhaled after a long moment. "Particularly about ignoring me," she muttered under her breath as she turned away again.

Hearing the stress in the other woman's voice, Kara pivoted to peer at Cat's stiff back with a frown. She knew the other woman didn't like being ignored in most situations, but instinct told her this wasn't about her default need for attention. "Cat?" she whispered very softly as she approached her from behind. She settled a gentle hand on a slim shoulder.

Cat was silent for a long moment, then did a slow turn, leaning back against the counter as she faced Kara. "She doesn't approve," she said very softly.

Kara did a quick glance back, confirming that Alex was still focused on her phone and muttering to herself.

" _...maybe that cute doorman..."_

"She doesn't know," Kara sighed, uncertain whether she was feeling relieved or something more complex over that realization.

A blonde eyebrow arched into a steep peak and Cat leaned to one side, peering around Kara at Alex where she sat on the couch, utterly engrossed. "If you say so," she exhaled, not quite at full Cat Grant levels of sarcasm, but definitely well over the her normal default. She flicked a glance up at Kara, worry visible in her eyes.

"What?" Kara whispered, careful to keep her voice low, though with the way Alex was determinedly ignoring them, she wasn't sure why she bothered.

Cat tipped a bit sideways again, her expression thoughtful as she watched Alex for a moment. Finally, she blinked and shook herself as though tossing off a thought. When she looked at Kara again, her expression was far too neutral for comfort.

"Y'know, if you're this embarrassed by the new guy," Alex complained, "maybe you oughta consider giving James another chance. God, he has a body."

This time Kara didn't have to search for reasons for the flash in Cat's eyes or the tiny shudder the shook her slender frame. "You know I'm not..." She didn't finish, instead settling a hand on Cat's forearm. "I won't," she insisted.

In an effort to appear unaffected, Cat shrugged and turned back toward the few remaining groceries, her posture unusually stiff as she started putting things away again.

 _Damn_. Kara's gaze swung back and forth between the two women, the weird way they ignored one another no longer even remotely humorous. "I..." she started to say something only to trail off, uncertain what would solve her problem or even what her precise problem was.

" _...huh...that security guard isn't half bad_ ," Alex said _sotto voce_ in the background. _"She could do worse_."

Kara glanced up then, and couldn't decide if she'd imagined Alex throwing one quick, grim glance their way. _No, she wouldn't..._ But by the time she looked fully at her sister, Alex's gaze was downcast again. She did a slow pivot back toward Cat, whose back was, if anything, even stiffer. No surprise she'd heard Alex. She wasn't exactly keeping her voice in superhearing only ranges. Her hand settled naturally at the small of Cat's back as she leaned close and kept her voice low. She didn't take time to consider, just whispered, "I...I think I should tell Alex...about us, I mean." She paused for a brief second. "If it's okay with you."

Cat turned, leaning back against the counter to peer up at Kara. "I've nothing to hide, but are you sure you're ready?"

"I..." Kara glanced back at Alex while her stomach knotted painfully. Invulnerability was good for a lot of things, but it didn't do a damn thing for this. "I think I have to," she sighed, warmed when Cat patted her arm gently.

"Do you want me to stay or—" A muffled funeral dirge interrupted Cat's question and she retrieved her cell phone from a pocket, her tone brisk as she answered.

Ignoring the irony of her lover's chosen ring tone, Kara listened in as the police detective on Cat's case explained they wanted to speak to her again. By the sound of it, Kara was willing to bet Mike Ross had given them yet another version of events. He'd spun so many it was becoming perversely comedic as each iteration painted him as more innocent and more sexually irresistible to every woman around. Cat bristled, but agreed to come in.

"I—" Cat began when she hung up, but Kara held up a hand.

"I think it's better I do this alone anyway," she said softly. Cat and Alex both ran at snark and sarcasm levels that could irritate a nun when they were of a mind. Putting the two of them together for a stressful confession session seemed like a bad idea at best. Another quick glance back confirmed that Alex was still buried in her phone in a way that struck Kara as being not entirely unintentional. "But..." She nodded to indicate the phone in Cat's hand. "Do you want company? Or need Supergirl?"

Cat rolled her eyes, but there was a hint of a smile playing around her lips in response to the question. "I'm an adult," she sniffed, not yet ready to acknowledge how nice it was to have someone care after so many years of dealing with everything alone. "I think I can handle a simple meeting."

Well versed in Cat-Grantese, the way she rarely said what she actually meant, particularly with an audience like Alex in the room, Kara simply reached out and pulled her into a hug. Sometimes it was easier to just cut to the chase. Cat was rigid, almost resistant.

Kara just gathered her closer, carefully pulling the smaller woman into her body and leaning their heads together.

Then, like a rubber band snapping, Cat's tension let go. Wrapping her arms around Kara, she buried her face in the curve of her neck and clung so tightly Kara could feel every ragged breath she drew in and hear every beat of her heart.

"You sure you don't want me to come with you?" Kara whispered near her lover's ear. She felt the movement as Cat shook her head.

"'ll be fine," came the muffled response, though Cat didn't immediately let go, just held on and even nosed in a little deeper. She took several deep breaths, then finally straightened her shoulders and stepped back a half pace.

Kara followed, pushing up on her toes to press a soft kiss to Cat's forehead. "You'll call if you need me?" she said, her voice somewhere between a question and an order.

Cat nodded. "I'll be fine," she assured her young lover with an appropriately dismissive eye roll of the mere idea that she wouldn't. "I can certainly deal with one rather poor liar and a detective dumb enough to believe him."

"I'll be there the moment you need me," Kara insisted. "You just have to call."

Cat nodded, her smirk all bravado and false courage as she stepped back. She nodded to Alex who was all but hiding behind her phone, holding it up in front of her face as though she could block Cat's very existence. "Agent Scully."

Alex grunted, but didn't look up.

After that, Kara saw Cat out, brushing a hand along the small of her back, then sharing another quick hug at the door. Finally, Cat slipped away, hurrying down the hall. Kara pushed the door closed, then took a moment to steel herself before turning back. When she finally returned to the livingroom, Alex was still on her phone, but had relaxed somewhat and no longer appeared to be trying to hide behind it.

"What about this guy?" Alex asked thoughtfully as she tapped the screen. "He's pretty cute and according to the CatCo website he's the senior arts editor." She flicked a serious gaze Kara's way. "That's your new division, isn't it?"

"Are you talking about Steve Palmeri?" Kara asked as she ambled Alex's way. "He _is_ cute."

Alex's expression brightened and she nodded.

"I don't think his wife would appreciate that sort of thing though...particularly with the new baby they just had."

Alex's expression fell.

Kara heaved a sigh and took up a seat on the edge of the coffee table so she was right in front of Alex. This was likely to take some major eye contact. "You're not going to answer the question this way."

Alex's expression went through a whole series of contortions as she considered that response. "So you're admitting there's someone?" she said at last, her tone guarded.

Kara nodded. "Yeah." She leaned forward, elbows braced on her thighs as she peered at her sister seriously. "And I think you—"

Alex's phone dinged and she looked down at it, then suddenly grinned. "So it is James," she all but crowed as she held up her phone to show a publicity photo that had been taken of James and Kara at a recent charity event. They were standing together and James was focused on her, his hand resting at the small of her back.

Kara couldn't help but notice that while James was staring hungrily at her, she was looking off to the side, her attention elsewhere, ignoring him completely.

"I mean, look at the way he's looking at you," Alex insisted.

As Kara peered at the picture, she remembered the moment. James had been talking about something—Clark maybe—telling some story about their times together she suspected was meant to impress. Kara barely remembered. Her entire focus had been on Cat. She'd been on the other end of the room, ignoring Maxwell Lord so pointedly he'd been driven to flirt for all he was worth.

Which was, unfortunately, quite a bit. He'd teased, cajoled, flashed his sleazy smile over and over and clearly taken Cat's rudeness as encouragement to try harder.

Kara had wanted to storm over and break his jaw, let it heal, then break it again.

She wasn't a fan.

But Cat had looked over, making eye contact for the briefest second before shaking her head ever so slightly and punctuating the silent command to stand down with the quickest of winks.

It didn't take super-hearing to listen in on what happened next.

"Security!" Cat's shriek—and if Cat Grant knew nothing else, she knew how to shriek—had risen above the milling crowd until everyone in the room, possibly everyone on the property, including the valet parking guy who was testing the volume on the expensive audio-visual package in Cat's Jaguar heard the media mogul's response when Max made the mistake of putting a hand on her shoulder and trying to pull her in close to dance.

Somehow, and Kara had to admit, she wasn't quite sure, Cat had managed to simultaneously humiliate Max, paint herself as the victim and get him to donate a very large check to the children's home they were there for.

It was entertaining, to say the least. It wasn't the moment she realized she loved Cat or anything like that—she was already there by then, if she was honest—but it had definitely made an impression.

Which is all to say that James wasn't exactly a centerpiece of the memory.

"It's obvious he's really into you," Alex broke in on Kara's thoughts as she pulled the phone back, turning it around to study the photo again.

Reaching out, Kara settled her hand on the screen. "Whatever James is into, I like him, but not like that," she said almost gently. Oh, she'd tried for a bit, but it had petered out as it became obvious that neither of them was enjoying the experience. James wanted a woman who worshiped and adored him between bouts of saving the world, being absolutely perfect and letting him take the lead in all things sexual. Kara wanted Cat.

It wasn't a match made in heaven.

"But—" Alex started to argue.

"It's Cat." Trying to do this gently wasn't going to work, so Kara decided to just put it out there.

"That's not it," Alex denied without missing a beat.

Kara blinked, caught by surprise. She'd forgotten how intense Alex's denial engine could get. "Yeah, yeah, it is."

"Cut the jokes," Alex snorted with an annoyed eye roll. "Seriously, who is it?"

" _Cat. Grant_ ," Kara said slowly and carefully, hoping that maybe a firm tone would drive the point home and make Alex hear her for once.

"Very funny, but given that you're not a lesbian—"

"Close enough actually...particularly after the last few days... _with Cat_." Kara sharpened her gaze. "And that means exactly what you don't want to think it means." It occurred to Kara that Cat was possibly rubbing off on her a little.

Meanwhile, it was Alex's turn to react with a shocked blink.

Kara couldn't contain a small, sad sigh. "I think I love her."

"Fine," Alex finally summoned the breath to grumble. "You're having your college lesbian affair a little late, but that doesn't mean—"

"Actually, I had it right on time," Kara inserted, her tone dry. She'd let Alex push this topic off for too long already because of her own cowardice, but this time it mattered too much. "Remember Helena? I brought her home for Thanksgiving my sophomore year."

A flinch rattled through Alex. "I didn't...I mean, you never said you were—"

"Every time I tried, you changed the subject or fled the room. Seemed easier to just leave it alone...especially since after that...well, let's just say it didn't go well."

"Which means it was probably a good thing you—"

"Don't," Kara said sharply. She ran a hand through her hair, buying time as she struggled to put things into words. Finally, she began carefully, the words coming slow and measured. "I know you, Alex. I know how you are with others and I know you aren't a homophobe, so why is this such a problem when it's me?"

"I didn't...it's not...I mean, I don't...you can be whatever you want...I just..." Alex stammered, bumbling over the words and never quite finishing any sentences.

Kara caught a fine-boned hand in her own, holding on when Alex would have pulled away in an effort to reestablish their connection. "Why is it like this?" she questioned seriously. "Do you remember in high school, when I had a crush on Gina Burdette—"

"I remember when you had a thing for her brother _, Andy_ ," Alex growled, the words sound rough and defensive even to her own ears.

"No, I didn't," Kara denied. "You pushed me at Andy..." She thought about it for a moment, seeing the pattern she'd carefully ignored for so many years. She'd let it go so many times in the past, but this was too important. Cat would never tolerate being ignored or shuffled to the side. "And at James too...and Winn before that...and Jim Greer...and...you push me at men." Kara leaned forward, something akin to desperation in her eyes. "You're my sister and I love you more than anything, but what's going on?" She blinked at a few tears that threatened to fall. "Would it really be that awful if I—"

"No!" Alex snapped instantly, then added another, "No," her voice softer and lower this time. She shook her head, struggling for words. "I love you no matter what. I just...I've only ever wanted what was best for you—"

"Do you really think that's being with someone I don't want?" Kara growled, her voice low and angry.

Alex pulled up short, whatever she was about to say knocked right out of her. "N-n-no," she stammered at last. "It's just...y-you don't know what the world can be like."

"Yeah, actually, I do." Kara dropped her chin to peer at the floor between her feet, the pain in her stomach and chest making her want to crawl into a hole and pull it in after her. "Believe it or not, I'm not a kid. I know how things work...and I get that I need to hide...things...to lie low..." She tangled her fingers together, using her thumbs to massage her palms, and twisting her hands this way and that to have something to do with them. "And mostly...it's okay. I mean, the clothes and the glasses and the whole wallflower thing...because...I dunno...it's not really that hard. I mean, even back home I wasn't exactly...assertive, I guess." She paused to heave a sigh and try again to organize her thoughts when a part of her didn't want to acknowledge or, god forbid, understand any of this. It hurt too much.

Alex's gaze dropped as she remembered Kara's rage during the whole Red K experience, the bitterness over all the hiding behind cardigans and thick glasses and the underlying hurt that went with it when she'd come down again. She flinched as she was reminded that Kara was maybe not so happy with the restrictions that had been put on her since coming to Earth.

"But Alex, I can't do this anymore...date guys I don't care about. It's not fair to them or me..." Kara continued, oblivious to her sister's uneasy soul searching. "Andy, he was nice enough, but he bored me, but it seemed to make you happy, so I tried to pretend..."

Another grand twitch rattled the brunette and her jaw clamped down, muscles cramping with stress.

"And with James..." Kara continued after a long moment of uncomfortable silence, "...you kept talking him up, pushing, pointing out how perfect it would be...how he already knew, already understood...until..." Kara quieted for a long moment, running it all in her head and wringing her hands back and forth. "And I thought maybe...I mean, I actually tried to convince myself I was in love with him to...to make you...approve..." She shook her head a little dazedly. "But it was awful, Alex, awful...not because he was mean or not trying, but because it was all wrong...uncomfortable and...I hated it—"

Alex couldn't help it. She'd been doing this too long to break old habits that quickly. Some part of was driven to try. "Relationships can be like that at first, then you—"

"Stop!" Kara snapped, then softer, "Just stop."

Alex skidded to a verbal halt, staring at her sister with a look of guilt and regret that Kara didn't see because she was back to staring at her hands.

"I told you, I love her," Kara whispered very softly. "And what's more, she loves me." She took a deep breath, then confessed in a rush, "That's where I've been the last few days."

"I..." Alex started to speak, then froze as she saw, really saw this time, her sister's hunched shoulders and scared expression. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly as a sick realization slid through her. She'd done this, put that fear and shame on Kara's face where it had absolutely no place. Which meant she had to fix it. She'd been stubborn and dense and in deep denial, but she wasn't a complete moron. Kara needed her and she had to do this for Kara's sake. "So Cat Grant?" she said at last, her voice shaky. "The woman who's reduced you to screaming in your pillow more than once? Really? You couldn't have chosen someone even more high maintenance? I mean, was Kim Kardashian not bowled over by the whole Supergirl mystique?"

Kara's chin snapped up and her brows drew into a confused frown as she tried to decide if Alex was teasing or attacking Cat.

"Nicki Minaj couldn't spot the cape through the entourage?" Alex tried another joke.

"Cat doesn't care about the cape," Kara said seriously, her eyes glittering with quiet anger. "She respects me. That's why she gave me the promotion...not the cape."

"I didn't mean..." Alex began only to fade out. Okay, so that attempt had fallen flat. "I..."

Kara's chin dropped again as she found the floor painfully interesting. "You know what one of the most amazing things about Cat is?" she whispered, then answered her own question before Alex could get a word in edgewise. "She lets me be me. I don't have to hide or pretend or be someone I don't want to be. I can be happy or sad...or _angry_." She said the last word with extra emphasis because with everyone else, her anger was always unacceptable. "When I was under the influence of the red Kryptonite, I said a few mean things to James and he needed a break from me. I threw Cat off a building, and she took me back the next day and told me I could work my way back into the city's good graces while making it clear I already had hers. She accepts me. But here's the thing, even if I didn't want to be with her, it still wouldn't be James. Or. Any. Other. Man. You. Find. Acceptable."

Now it wasn't just regret in Alex's eyes, it was shame. She'd told Kara they'd need to talk after that whole nightmare, then carefully avoided doing so. She swallowed hard. None of this was what she'd intended, but she'd done it anyway. "It's not like that," she whispered, her voice tight and ragged. "Really...I never meant it like that...or to make you feel like you had to...to do anything to make me happy." She shook her head, struggling for words. "I just...I've only ever wanted to protect you..." She trailed off, took a deep breath, then started again, the words coming in halting bursts. "You're already...different...enough...and that...that's dangerous for you...and I...I didn't want you to have to deal with one more thing you didn't need to."

"But you're defining my needs...and that's not fair because you've got it all wrong. No matter how much you think I should, I don't need James or Winn, or whatever other guy you want me to run after," Kara said. "I. Need. _Her_."

Alex froze for a long moment, jaw working soundlessly. Finally, she reached out, catching strong hands in her own. "I get it," she exhaled. "I do." She swallowed hard in an effort to ease the tightness in her throat.

Kara looked up, suspicion and fear reflected in her gaze.

"And I'm so sorry if I made you feel like I didn't accept you." Alex rubbed her thumbs over the rise of Kara's knuckles. "Like I _don't_ accept you...because I do, Kara." She paused to swallow hard. "And if Cat Grant is your choice...well...okay." She reached out to chuck Kara under the chin and offered another wry smile. "I'll deal with it...and if I don't, well, get in my face and tell me off." Then her expression melded into a tiny, big-sister grin. "But you should know I'm gonna tell her if that she ever hurts you, I _will_ kick her ass."

Kara understood Alex well enough to accept the threat for the peace offering it was. A small smile found its way to her lips and she nodded. "Well, you are my big sister, so I guess that's okay."

And then they were hugging hard, each holding on like the other was their last tie to earth.

"I'm sorry," Alex choked near Kara's ear, her voice thick with tears. "Can you forgive me?"

"I already have," Kara sighed as she clung desperately to her sister, grateful to feel the acceptance she'd long needed. "It's just that this is big and scary and real, and I needed to know you're on my side."

"Always," Alex promised, leaning back enough to peer into blue eyes that would always seem painfully innocent to her. "I may screw up sometimes, but I will _always_ be on your side. I promise..."

TBC


End file.
